tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57984236110644865412024-03-05T19:05:04.344+01:00Izzy's Travel DiariesIsabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374765705460506021noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798423611064486541.post-70635198495205676502018-08-23T23:34:00.000+02:002018-10-29T23:34:32.080+01:00Japan - Hakone Round Trip<div style="text-align: justify;">
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Today I woke up at 5:30. I didn't even set an alarm, but the sun streaming through the windows woke me. I thought of sleeping a bit more, but I wanted to leave at 7. However, as I was getting ready, I remembered that while Tokyo was a big city, most things weren't open 24/7. I checked online, and as it turned out the ticket office where I could purchase the <a href="https://www.odakyu.jp/english/passes/hakone/" target="_blank">Hakone Free Pass</a> only opened at 8. I should have bought the ticket the day before, and it did occur to me at one point, but I promptly forgot. It turned out that the one hour delay was a good thing, because my stomach was a bit all over the place. It was complaining over the mixture of random foods I've been eating. </div>
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The night before I decided to take my backpack on the excursion instead of my usual bag. My backpack was actually one that was specifically designed for travels with a laptop, and it was what I would usually use to carry it around. Many people questioned why I took a laptop, and that was because I couldn’t upload videos from my camera any other way. A strange restriction, as with the WiFi on my camera I could transfer pictures, but not videos. Also, I could do a lot more on my laptop, than just on my phone. However, my backpack needed to be repurposed for the excursion, and I took out everything that I used on planes, and instead filled it with what I needed for an excursion. I also took a light blanket I got in Turkey, that was specifically for use as a beach blanket, but would also be good in case I needed to sit on the ground somewhere. I was going to an onsen, but as people were naked there, I didn’t need my bikini. What I did put in was a raincoat, as they promised rain. I hoped it wouldn’t come true, or just be very light, as if it was too cloudy, then I wouldn’t see Fuji-sama. A nice light rain would have been welcome to cool things down a bit.</div>
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I gathered everything, and set off to the station. It was very sunny and hot already, even though it was just 8am. However, in the distance I spotted some dreaded black clouds. Hakone was quite a way away, so I hoped it would be clear there. I did think of rescheduling, but that would have completely upset all my plans. I scheduled some things for specific days because it was a weekday or the weekend, so that would have meant totally reworking everything, and I just wasn’t prepared to do that. Thus, I hoped for the best, and walked on. I decided on a different route to the station than what I looked up, and it actually turned out to be longer, so I vowed never to go that way again. There were a lot of people on the streets going to work in the typical Japanese office attire. I remembered that it was on the news a while ago that in spite of the heat Japanese salarymen refused to wear short sleeved shirts and no tie, so the president himself appeared in such an attire to show that it was okay. Business women also didn’t wear short skirts, but very nicely cut longer skirts, and often not straight, but fuller skirts, not unlike 50s America. In Hungary, during the summer sometimes offices tried to keep women from wearing sandals, but most people just ignored that policy, and companies ignored them not keeping the policy. At one of my workplaces it was brought up once, and then my colleague said that then we’ll protest the rule and stop working. As about 60% of the company was women, the men quickly shut up.</div>
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I found the Hakone ticket office at Shinjuku station easily enough, thanks to the guys at Ninja Food Tours showing it to me. I would have hated to try to find it in the massive station. It was actually not far from the dango place. When I stood in line to get my pass, I also noticed that they sold many other passes as well. Therefore, if you are planning a trip outside Tokyo, it would be a great idea to check if there’s one that suits your plans. As I wanted to return to Japan for sure, I made note of it for next time. Most of the passes would only be available for foreign visitors, so a passport was required. In fact, in Japan it was good to keep a passport, as all sorts of tax-free shopping was also only available, if you had your passport.</div>
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As I waited in line for the ticket, luckily a new ticket window opened up and I was guided to her. She asked me a few questions, but didn't even ask for my passport. I guess I'm very obviously not Japanese. I did have to fill in a form though. Now it wasn’t clear to me from the website what train was included in the ticket. The Romancecar wasn't, but it could be added on for 1000 yen. I chose that option, as it got into Hakone half an hour earlier than the express. With the ticket I got an information booklet. </div>
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I found the train easily, as I just had to walk straight down to the right of the ticket office, put my ticket through the reader to activate it and the train was on the left. When I sat down I got an aisle seat, but there wasn't anyone on the window seat, so after a while I just scooted over. A feature of the Romancecar is that it has huge windows, so that was nice, as I could observe the outside better. I found the seat itself very comfortable, and had a nice relaxing 90 minutes. There was some background chatter from the other excited passengers that were looking forward to having a fun day. Most of the schedule involved sitting on public transport, so it was a good change from yesterday's walking. My feet were hurting still, so I was glad to have a rest. Most people said that you would need 2 days to do the round trip, but I carefully planned it for one. I did want to pass up most of the extra sights. There was an open air museum that only looked interesting if you had a partner to take pictures with. The geological museum I gave a pass as I was never a big fan of geology. I wanted the day to be rather about enjoying Japanese nature and an onsen at the end of the day. </div>
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As I was waiting for the train to start, I went through the information packet I got. Sadly, most of it was in Japanese. There were English bits, but not all. I've read that the Japanese tourist office was trying to get more foreign tourists into the country, and especially the countryside. However, a key element of that should be better English literature. </div>
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We arrived to the last stop in Hakone station, and I changed trains to the <a href="http://www.hakone-tozan.co.jp/en/" target="_blank">Hakone - Tozan line</a>. That runs with a very special car, and NHK World did a feature on that train. It’s a special train in many ways. The train uses a special type of rail designed for mountain railways. It uses 3 switchbacks, when the train reverses direction in order to climb the 445m height. It’s not uncommon to feel the pressure change, and my ears popped too. In the NHK special I also saw how there are three breaks built into the train, one of which is a manual break, so it’s very safe. There are newer, and older cars, and when I got on, I saw that it was an older car. It had a certain charm to it. Finding the train was actually very easy, as the train left from the opposite side as to where the Romancecar arrived.<br />
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As I was waiting for it to start, another blonde woman sat down next to me. This was such a novelty, I began chatting with her. She was a very nice woman, and as it turned out, she was visiting her next sister-in-law, who was Japanese. She was also with her, and she didn’t speak much English, they were using Google Translate to understand each other. I again thought about the wonder of modern technology, and how it could help these two women understand each other better than ever before. The Japanese woman was going to move to Florida with her husband, and I wondered how much of a culture shock she was going to have when she moved there. In a funny way, it felt to me like I understood her better than her own sister-in-law. I wonder it it was due to me knowing so much about Japanese culture, and my overall openness to other cultures. We actually ended up travelling together all the way to the town of Hakone, and that was a lot of fun too.</div>
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Talking on the train was a bit harder, though, as the train itself was very loud. As we sat on the train, it started to rain, which was sad, though also interesting, as we climbed higher the mountains were surrounded by white clouds hanging onto their edges. At that point I knew I wasn’t going to see Fuji-sama that day. That saddened me, but it also gave me motivation to return some day and do the trip again.<br />
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We changed onto the cablecar, and I had to show my Hakone Pass again. It went from Gora Station to Sounzan Station on a very steep slope. The car itself was very modern and comfortable. As we waited for it to start, I noticed the multitude of people and languages I could hear. Beside Japanese, there was Spanish, English, German, and I saw Europeans, probably Southern Americans and Northern Americans, Indians and people from other parts of Asia. It was like the whole world was visiting Hakone. The train quickly rose on the steep slope, and soon we were exiting the train.<br />
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There was a clearly marked path to the Ropeway, and after another check of the Pass, I was boarding the ropeway. Everyone on it was deadly quiet as they boarded. The cabin swung with the wind, and we were pulled into the clouds. It was mysterious and a bit scary, but I had faith in the technology. We passed over fumes coming from the sulphur vents. The site was yellow with the sulphur, with dead tree trunks jutting out of the earth in places. It made me think of a post-apocalyptic site, and could be a serious inspiration for one.</div>
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We stopped at Owakudani, and had to get out of the cabin. That’s where the <a href="http://www.hakone-geomuseum.jp/english/" target="_blank">geological museum</a> is, and people were wondering about the site in the air filled with sulphur. Frankly, sulphur makes my stomach turn, so I didn’t hang around for long. It was quite a sight though. It looked like mines, and I do know that there used to be sulphur mines in Japan, and some of the equipment did look like they were doing some mining now. Sulphur is used in gunpowder production among many other things. I remembered gunpowder, as a Korean drama titled Hwajung took partially place in Japanese sulphur mines. </div>
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I asked my companions if they wanted to go on, and so we did. The second leg of the ropeway journey was supposed to have a view of Fuji-sama, but with the clouds hanging so low, it didn’t. That was again a bit sad, but the view was still amazing of the lake. It was hard to do a video, as my small camera kept focusing on the raindrops on the glass.<br />
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At the Togendai Station we had some time until the pirate ship came, that would take us through Lake Ashi. There was a small restaurant there, and also a shop and opportunity to use the restrooms. The ship came and we were first in line. The rain temporarily stopped, so we went up to the semi-opened area, but not all the way to the top, as the wind was blowing. The weather was okay for a while, but it got progressively worse, and we were getting wet. My companions went up to try the top deck, and I was actually a bit worried about them, as the wind was really strong by that point. My original plan was to get off at Hakone Checkpoint, check out the museum there, walk through the forest to Hakone town. However, with the weather being that bad, there was no point in going to an open air museum, and walking in a forest while not even being able to walk upright. So instead, I was planning on taking the ship to Hakone. What I didn’t check because of my original plans, was that we had to change to a smaller ship that took us into Hakone, so if the staff didn’t warn us, we would have stayed on. So a smaller, blue ship took us into Hakone, where I parted from my companions.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhak9DacEfDp4OmrbPc5_2kQYu-XmVlQb1Cksp_mFKwrgCSsNdTt0hbNkNUx8nEI4MnFJSAT7eVb4RTt5SlA_vsTJrVvJyxq_8au0bLl1XnCZxiOYcEXGtydu0n1EwyXvA3n-OYeGOXtPI/s1600/IMG_20180823_135328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhak9DacEfDp4OmrbPc5_2kQYu-XmVlQb1Cksp_mFKwrgCSsNdTt0hbNkNUx8nEI4MnFJSAT7eVb4RTt5SlA_vsTJrVvJyxq_8au0bLl1XnCZxiOYcEXGtydu0n1EwyXvA3n-OYeGOXtPI/s320/IMG_20180823_135328.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
In Hakone, my plan was to walk to the Hakone shrine, and for a while it looked like the weather was clearing up. However, it started to rain again, and as my stomach rumbled, I decided to look for a nice restaurant. I went online, and looked for what had good reviews around me. I first walked around some shops though, as Hakone was famous for handmade wood things. There were some pretty nice things, but I ended up just going to this good-looking chicken restaurant. <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g298171-d11800550-r629451405-Hakone_Karaage_Karatto-Hakone_machi_Ashigarashimo_gun_Kanagawa_Prefecture_Kanto.html" target="_blank">Karatto</a> is a very nice place and I highly recommend it. I even wrote a very nice review for them. While I was eating, I was chatting with my mum, so it was almost like we were having lunch together. I enjoyed my lunch so much, I wished I could have eaten more, but the karaaGe plate I ate was so perfectly proportioned, I was completely full. When I paid, with a card, I might add, I exchanged a few sentences in Japanese, with this older man, and I was very happy about it. First time ever!</div>
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My plan was to go next to Amazake-chaya Tea House. So I went to the bus station, but the bus that a lot of people were waiting at was going to the train station. I had to ask around, but I was directed to the right bus. The buses were running very rarely, so I had to wait a while. The wind and rain was picking up again, and I tried to stand in the station. The bus station was right next to the boat station, so I was standing in the area where you could get boat tickets, as it was in front of the stop for my bus. As I was waiting for the bus, I realised I really didn’t want to go to the teahouse, but I really wanted to be in the onsen, with my feet and back in hot water, turning into a prune. So when the bus finally got there, and then started, I just decided to stay on and go straight to <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g298171-d1554630-r629496453-Tenzan_Tohji_kyo-Hakone_machi_Ashigarashimo_gun_Kanagawa_Prefecture_Kanto.html" target="_blank">Tenzan Onsen</a>.<br />
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The bus went through a beautiful forest with trees so tall, you could barely see the top. I was paying attention to the stops, and got off at the Okuyumotoiriguchi Bus Stop. I walked down from the road, and over a bridge. There were several buildings there. I know you can also stay at the Onsen, and I wished I was. Before the entrance inside a small structure was a ticket machine. I pressed the button that had the discount for the Hakone Pass. Not a huge discount, but every little counts. I entered the Onsen, and inside was a place to take off your shoes. My back was hurting a lot at that point, so I had a difficult time even taking my shoes off. The older man behind the counter said that I’d feel better after the bath. So I put my shoe in a box, and I could lock it in there as well. I showed my ticket, and also got a small towel. I totally forgot to put one in. It would make a great souvenir too. </div>
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Inside I walked on those lovely bamboo mats, and I went straight to the women’s bath. I followed the sign for woman, and found the changing rooms. There was also a place to dry your hair with a could of hair dryers, and toilets. So I got naked and put my stuff into one of the lockers. I could put the key around my wrist, and I went to wash myself down. It was a bit weird to sit down on a little stool with my naked body. I’m very germophobe, but I pushed that part down and washed myself. I think I should have used the bucket and not the shower-head, but the bucket seemed too complicated.</div>
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Once I was clean, went outside to the pools. The atmosphere was beautiful. It was in an area surrounded by stone walls. There was a main pool with white water built from rocks. It was under a canopy of leaves, which with the rain was really great. I headed to that pool first. I was very careful getting in with the different rocks, and once I found a nice place to sit in, I relaxed and spent some time just enjoying the warm water and the quiet. I wasn’t the only foreigner in there, so at least I didn’t stand out. In fact, some of them had tattoos, and I have read before that this was an onsen that allowed them. The water wasn’t too warm, it was actually very comfortable. I looked around, and observed the little statues scattered about. There were also wooden areas to sit down and cool down a bit. Outside there was no drinking fountain, but there was one by the washing area, and some people filled their water bottles from there. Once I felt the tension in my back ease, I got out to explore the other pools. There was also a small wooden house, which I suspected to be the sauna. I went in, and it was, and as expected, too hot for me.</div>
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Outside there were two pools side by side. I got into the one on the left, and it was hotter than the first pool I went into. I spent a few minutes there, but it was getting too hot. The pool beside it seemed even steamier, so I only put my hand in, and it was too hot even for that. It was a shame, as that pool went into a cave. Instead, I tried the small pool in the corner, and it smelled of sulphur, but not too much. That was actually delicious for my back, and it had a cute statue in the corner. I stayed there for a while, but then I was itching to try the last pool, where quite a few of the foreign girls were also bathing. I listened and determined they were German. That pool wasn’t too hot, but it wasn’t that special. I went back into the sulphur one, but it was getting a bit too much, so I chose a place where I could just sit in from the waist down. As I was sitting there, I started up a conversation with an Asian-looking girl, but she turned out to be actually Australian. She had quite a number of tattoos. We chatted about all sorts of things, but at a low tone to not disturb the other bathers. She was travelling with her boyfriend, who was enjoying the men’s bath.</div>
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After a while we both decided to get going, and I cleaned up, dried my hair, and got dressed. I checked with reception when the next bus was coming, and I had some time. So I checked out the little gift shop they had, and also had a lie-down in the rest area. A cute thing was that since we were barefoot, and the toilets had tiles, for each toilet there was a special toilet slipper that you could slip into. I found that so Japanese, as they are so good at paying attention to these little things.<br />
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Outside I barely had to wait in the little waiting area, and the bus came. As it went down to the train station, it started to rain again. However, when I got to the station, it stopped. A couple of people were in a hurry, so I figured the train would go soon. I reached the platform with my Hakone Pass, but the train there was a Romancecar again. A man was selling tickets for the train to go to Odawara, the main station, where people could get onto the Hakone Express. However, I was getting hungry, and was ready to take the Romancecar back all the way to Tokyo. I was supposed to use a machine to get that ticket, but with all the menus I got a bit confused. The guy stepped over to help me, and he pressed all the buttons for me. He was a lifesaver, as the train was about to leave in a few minutes. I thanked him, and quickly hopped on. I found my seat while the train was already pulling out of the station. I relaxed into my seat. I was very thirsty, so I waited for the trolley to come. I got a bottle of water there. The price wasn’t so bad, 130 yen. A bit more expensive than in the shop, but not exorbitant. I chatted with my mum on the way back. There was barely anyone in that cart.</div>
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When I got off I decided to have a nice lunch. In Tokyo the streets were a bit damp, but the air was warm, and it wasn’t raining. I was in the mood for some takoyaki, so I went to the shop where I ate with the Ninja Food Tour. I got 8 balls, and the guys looked at me weird that that’s all I was having. I told them I wasn’t very hungry, and I really wasn’t. So I quickly ate, and paid. Then I walked towards my Airbnb, but took a route I haven’t tried before. What did I behold? A Scientology building! Now I’m very interested in all sorts of belief systems, but frankly, Scientology is one that I think of as one of the weirdest, and I also don’t have a good opinion on the group itself. I won’t go into my thoughts on it. I took a picture of the building. I thought it was very flashy, and quite interesting, if only it didn’t house what it did. I also passed some interesting murals under an overpass.<br />
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Here is my original plan, if you want to give it a try:<br />
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7:19 - 9:16<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Shinjuku Station to Hakone-Yumoto Stn.<br />
9:37 - 10:16<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Hakone-Yumoto Stn. to Gora Station<br />
10:21 - 10:31<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Gora Station to Sounzan Sta.<br />
10:33 - 10:57<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Sounzan Sta. to Togendai Station<br />
11:20 - 11:45<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Togendai Station to Hakone Sightseeing cruise<br />
12:00 - 13:00<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Old Tokaido and Hakone Checkpoint<br />
13:00 - 13:45<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Hakone Checkpoint museum to Hakone Shrine<br />
13:45 - 14:45<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Hakone Shrine<br />
14:54 - 15:10 <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Hakone Shrine to Amazake-chaya Tea House<br />
16:10 - 16:28 <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Amazake-chaya Tea House to Tenzan Onsen<br />
16:30 - 18:10<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Tenzan Onsen<br />
18:20 - 20:35 <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Tenzan Onsen to Shinjuku Station<br />
19:16 - 21:34<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Tenzan Onsen to Shinjuku Station</div>
<style type="text/css"><!--td {border: 1px solid #ccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}--></style>Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374765705460506021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798423611064486541.post-3899282853349116382018-08-22T23:00:00.000+02:002018-10-21T19:27:10.591+02:00Japan - Tokyo - Harajuku and Shibuya<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I woke my first morning in Tokyo with a slight hangover from the two doses of alcohol the night before. It was mostly my stomach rebelling, so I took some times getting ready, warmed up some bottled coffee in the microwave, and had some food. On the phone I reviewed the path I wanted to take to the Meiji shrine. The plan was to walk that day, because I wanted to explore Shibuja, which didn’t seem that far. The next day I planned on going to Hakone, and in the three days after that, going around Tokyo. That way I could get a 72-hour metro pass, which was very economical.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I gathered myself and was on my way to the Meiji shrine. I really enjoyed that I could take the internet with me, because that way I was less likely to get lost. My path took me through the business district of Shibuja. I marvelled at the beautiful skyscrapers. I passed a gorgeous hotel called the Keio Plaza Hotel. There was a group in front of it leaving, and I was kind of envious that they got to stay there. On the opposite side there was the Citizen’s Plaza, which was decorated with signs for the 2020 Olympics.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinr_FhqMlwR-RzIpyWh91KmaaSTUohueq9IMzGmeeh8RyU4c6BIwgcyN5NijHUyNUmypqIUaA-VtXsKsFOQnr2AK1uzGjAlajTQLMeTY4cnJlPLYM25bpAAONiXFGCfVgIsfh7wDYYLPw/s1600/IMG_20180822_094020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinr_FhqMlwR-RzIpyWh91KmaaSTUohueq9IMzGmeeh8RyU4c6BIwgcyN5NijHUyNUmypqIUaA-VtXsKsFOQnr2AK1uzGjAlajTQLMeTY4cnJlPLYM25bpAAONiXFGCfVgIsfh7wDYYLPw/s320/IMG_20180822_094020.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">After that I passed an interesting statue of a beautiful woman. It was in front of the Bunka Gakuen University, and it was the Saint of Wisdom and Charity. The university used to be a women’s private university, and according to the plaque, the same statue stands in front of the German University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt, its sister institution. It was quite a surprise to see such a statue in Japan.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I turned down a small road, and walked down a very residential area. Finally, I reached the Shrine. The Northern part was under reconstruction, so I only went to the main area. I walked through the park. It was nice to be in the shade on such a hot day, but surprisingly I didn’t see any benches. I reached the main part of the Shrine, and some parts were under renovation there as well.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The name of the shrine brings to mind even in those who are not well-versed in history an emperor called Meiji. This shrine was indeed founded to commemorate him. His great achievement was bringing Japan into the modern era after its period of isolation. He was also the emperor who moved from Kyoto, the traditional imperial residence, to Tokyo, then Edo. The Japan we have today would not exist without him. The shrine was founded in the area where he and his wife used to walk a lot in the iris gardens. You can still see them in the garden area, but they didn’t bloom when I was there.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I entered <a href="http://www.meijijingu.or.jp/english/" target="_blank">Meiji Jingu</a> through the gates on the Western side, where only a few people lingered. I arrived to the main courtyard. There were a lot more people there, but I can’t say it was crowded. There was a place to put wooden cards around a tree, and that seemed to attract the most people. There was no inner sanctum to enter, so I took some pictures and videos, and went through the Eastern gate. There was a hall there that seemed to have some sort of a reception, so that was closed off. It was a good thing though, that I went there, as I saw two shrine maidens in their red and white attire and snuck some pictures of them. There was also a charm seller there, the usual fare. I consulted my map and found that I should exit through the Southern gate, as the garden was that way. I went back and felt that I needed to take a cooling brake before I went on. Around the courtyard there were seats in the shade, so I sat down and tried to rest. Near me, there were some Spanish speaking people talking really loudly. Now as this was a sacred space, people were not supposed to do that. However, they didn’t realise their error, and I didn’t correct them. Still, I wondered what would have happened if I went into a Catholic Church and acted that way.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Once rested enough, I went through the huge Southern gate. There were some charm vendors again, but I ignored them and headed to the garden. As I was walking along the wide path, I noticed a strange woman. At least, I think it was a woman, sometimes it can be hard to tell, as she looked very gender neutral. She had a sword on her back next to her backpack and was walking in an odd way. When you get used to everyone behaving a certain way, people like that definitely stand out. I tried to keep a safe distance from her. She gave the impression she could unstrap that sword any minute and start using it. I found the garden entrance and she went in as well. I let her disappear through a path, and then went and bought my ticket. I didn’t need one for the shrine, but I did for the garden. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_P8rSaEgtOCieBpEv8u93r1L7hbn1NS1jFQtspOevIGUP_oVEztCqKnd8_n7tVEuS0TH_or9Chwziq5A4_WzUKHEiZboXWFUnT4NwCy6B74ms_42xHsvmvW0Al0K1niUkHUuZd6Z2qqQ/s1600/DSC03882.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_P8rSaEgtOCieBpEv8u93r1L7hbn1NS1jFQtspOevIGUP_oVEztCqKnd8_n7tVEuS0TH_or9Chwziq5A4_WzUKHEiZboXWFUnT4NwCy6B74ms_42xHsvmvW0Al0K1niUkHUuZd6Z2qqQ/s320/DSC03882.JPG" width="179" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Inside the lush vegetation gave a good ground for some very loud wildlife. I got a map with my ticket and following that wanted to visit <a href="http://www.tenkai-japan.com/2010/12/25/kiyomasas-well-at-meiji-shrine-popular-as-power-spot/" target="_blank">Kiyomasa’s Well</a>. The map said it was a power spot. I read up on it, and it said that people who put a picture of the well on their phones experienced good luck. So here's a picture. There was also information on the well’s history. It was said to have been dug by a samurai in the 15th century. On the way I passed the spot where they usually have flowers, but my pamphlet informed me that they bloom in June and July. What seemed to be happening was some replanting work. I passed a gazebo that must be very pretty during the blooming season, and went on. I reached the well, which was really a wooden circle with water coming up, and did my video. I didn’t feel any particular power, but the mosquitoes were out in full force, and then my strange modern samurai was also approaching, so I decided to leave.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I headed towards the teahouse and the lake. The teahouse was closed, but the lake was very pretty with the blooming waterlilies. I had another small rest, hoping that by water it would be cooler, but it wasn’t. I walked all the way to the end of the lake, where another gazebo stood. I was supposed to be able to walk on from there and take another exit, but the path was closed, so I went back to the entrance. I was ready to leave, when I passed barrels on both sides of the path. On one side they had wine casks that had been blessed. They were from France there to symbolise the good relationship between the two countries. On the other side they had sake barrels. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The path ended in the service area. There was some building going on, probably to improve things. The area had a big souvenir shop and a cafeteria. The toilets were nice and I cooled myself with the water. My eyes met with that of a Spanish woman, and we smiled at each other. From there there was a path to Harajuku Station, but the area around there had a lot of construction as well. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">My next goal was to visit the Johnny's shop that was near there. Johnny’s Entertainment Group is the group behind many of Japan’s biggest boy bands. Almost all of them are massively popular, and often have following not only in Japan, but in other countries as well. However, the group itself seems to mainly focus on its Japanese fans, and doesn’t seem to branch out much outside, especially not outside Japan. The furthest most groups ever get is Taiwan. The group I was interested in was their biggest hit, and one of the oldest with 19 years behind them, Arashi. Their greatest appeal to me has always been that their songs make me happy, even though I don’t understand their lyrics. Plus their concerts seem like great fun on video.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I crossed the street and there were a lot of girls standing around the small green area there. I went down the little street and found a guard at the shop. There was also a sign with terrible English. The situation was that basically you had to wait where I saw the girls for entrance, and the whole process was going to take about 3 hours. This to me was insanity. I thought of what to do, as being a huge Arashi fan, I definitely wanted to go in, but I was also getting very hungry and was not in the mood to stand around for hours. I got online and investigated the surrounding area. I found that Harajuku was the centre for otaku culture, especially a street not far from where I was. They also had some crazy food, so I decided to check it out. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The street was very interesting. There were many people, and the shops either sold crazy coloured food or clothing. I went around some shoe stores, as I was looking for a more comfortable pair of sandals. I did find some cute ones, but not comfortable enough. I ended up not trying the food as most appeared to be sweet, and I was in the mood for savoury. I also saw a group of young people, presumably a band passing out flyers, but they also seemed to have a lot of fans as well. I shot a picture of them. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I reached the end of the road, and turned right to make a circle. As I was walking, the woman from the restroom earlier passed me, and we both smiled at each other. It was funny to come across the same woman twice. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I went back to the street where the girls were waiting, and wondered what to do for lunch. There were several places on that street as well, but they were more like cafés. I had a look at my phone for ideas, and that's when I saw an Ichiran Ramen place in Shibuya. That was where I was heading next, so I decided to go for that. A bowl of ramen would be perfect.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The walk from Harajuku Station was not a pleasant one. To save money, I had scheduled that day to be on foot, but my determination did waver as it was incredibly hot. I got some fresh cold water from a convini, and soldiered on. Before the restaurant, there was the huge Tower Records store. I went in, and browsed the stacks in the pop section. I was way behind in the latest bands, I realised. I used to be on <a href="https://www.jpopasia.com/" target="_blank">JpopAsia</a> all the time, but not anymore. I left without buying anything.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I walked right passed <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com.my/Restaurant_Review-g1066456-d1688898-Reviews-Ichiran_Shibuya-Shibuya_Tokyo_Tokyo_Prefecture_Kanto.html" target="_blank">Ichiran Ramen</a>, as I expected something on street level, and it was on basement level. Google Maps directed me back, and I found myself in another queue. The most annoying thing about Japan is that basically there are lines everywhere. Sure, you expect it at ticket counters and the convini cashier, but not at restaurants and other shops. It wasn't even really an option to go somewhere else, as queues were everywhere. So I just waited and I arrived to a machine, where I could select my food and pay. I had to get at least two items. I could have selected a menu option with 5 or 3 extras into my ramen, but I can’t eat mushrooms, and nori is not very healthy for my thyroid problem, so I just selected the basic ramen, and a bottle of their branded tea. I could always use more to drink. I paid cash, of course. Once I was done, I proceeded to another waiting area, where it was for a table. I also got a questionnaire with a pencil in two languages about the kind of ramen I wanted. Strong or not, spicy hot, garlic, meat, etc. They had the recommended middle ground circled and I went with it. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">On the wall there was a simple indicator as to which tables were available, and a single one was quickly green lighted. I passed through a curtain and inside I found kind of small booths for one person. Not unlike my cubicle during my stint as a help desk agent. However, the back towards the kitchen was open, and they asked for my tickets from there. The machine gave me two tickets and I also handed in the filled in form. A person took it. I couldn't see their face, just the middle and the hands. I read that this is so that you only focus on the food. In my booth there were also small cups and a tap for water. Strangely, no napkin. I could hang my bag on a pin behind me. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Of course, people who didn't come alone were chatting, there was a woman feeding a baby a few cubicles down, but me in my own little cubicle was all alone. I waited for a bit, but after a few pictures I got out my Amazon app and was reading. I love that app, as I can carry many books, travel guides, even a guide that I pieced together from Wikipedia and other sites. All that on my phone.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">My ramen and my tea arrived. The person passed them through the opening, said something in Japanese, and then brought down the Bamboo blinds, leaving me to my food. I first drank some of the cold tea, as the ramen was steaming hot. The taste reminded me of the herbal teas of Herbalife from the 90s. A bit sour, but not unpleasantly so. I got a huge spoon for my ramen and chopsticks. I blew on it furiously, and I couldn't wait to slurp my way through the first Japanese ramen of my life. I remembered the one I made at home years ago from cooking chicken stock and adding flavouring from a packet. I got the pasta from the packet as well. This ramen was a bit like that it used a meat stock as well, not fish. Obviously red meat though. There was plenty of pasta in it, some pork meat, and that delicious flavourful broth. The bowl contained just enough food to fill my belly. I did slurp. Once I saw a drama, where the woman didn't dare slurp. She was a timid woman, often unsure of herself, but on the other hand clever and hard working. Really smart people often underestimate themselves, as they are aware that they don't know everything. So when she managed to finally slurp her ramen, it showed her strength growing. I can't remember which drama it was, I watch far too many, but thus I slurped. It felt good. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Once my bowl was empty, and my stomach was ready to burst, I quickly left, keenly aware that there was always a line for the tables. My next destination was Shibuya Crossing and the Hachiko statue. I actually know a person who has an Akita, and she told me she wished she could visit the statue as well. I have read up a lot on the story, and it touched my heart. The love and acknowledgement that surrounded Hachiko was so Japanese. So as I reached the Crossing, my first thought was to find the statue. I did so easily, as there were many people milling about. Taking a picture of it, however, was not so easy. Most people had help, so it took me a while to finally be able to stand next to it, and using my selfie stick, take the picture. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I also decided to use my selfie stick to do a live Facebook broadcast of me crossing the Shibuya. However, what I didn't know was that with the selfie stick plugged in, it didn't record the sound. I managed to find the setting to correct that, but that was after the broadcast. In spite of that, doing the crossing was an elevating thing to do. I've seen it so many times in pictures and on TV, it was difficult to comprehend that I was walking there. I wanted to jump with joy, shout and scream that I was living the dream. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Truth be told, until I passed through immigration in Kansai Airport, I didn't dare believe that I was actually going to be in Japan. I've had a lot of struggles in my life. Probably a lot of people had more, but that doesn't negate mine. To have such a huge dream come true was hard for me to grasp. Walking through Shibuya crossing, however, solidified in my mind that I was somewhere I wanted to be, but would not dare to hope to ever be.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Once on the other side, I set out to explore Shibuya. There were a lot of shops and restaurants everywhere. A guy was singing on the street, trying to make it. There were big trucks cruising on the road, side covered by a band's poster, blaring out the music from the latest album. Hachiko themed local bus drove by. There was a coffee shop with a line, people posting selfies with the cups. It was almost like at Universal, but much more of a mixture. I just wandered around, taking it all in. My goal was the <a href="https://www.tokyu-hands.co.jp/en/" target="_blank">Tokyu Hands</a> store. It was kind of a huge department store focusing a lot on handicraft, but in general it had everything at a good price. I wanted to see if I could get some souvenirs. However, when I got to the store, it was closed! I was very disappointed, but I went on. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I was wondering what to do. In my schedule I have put Ebisu Garden Place as the last thing in the day. It was a place known for Doumyougi waiting for Tsukushi there in <i><a href="http://asianwiki.com/Boys_Over_Flowers" target="_blank">Hana Yori Dango</a></i>. It was my favourite drama of all time. The main male character was played by Matsumoto Jun, a member of Arashi, so it was also what got me into the band. There are lots of remakes, but I've never seen any other version, and don't intend to. To me, that was perfect. However, Ebisu Garden Place was quite a way away. I wouldn't just have to get there, but also walk all the way back to my apartment. For the time being, I decided to stay in Shibuya. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">What I did instead was to check out a mall called <a href="https://www.shibuya109.jp/SHIBUYA/" target="_blank">Shibuya 109</a>. Inside it was 9 floors, but each floor rather small. Definitely not the sprawling avenues of shops I was used to in a mall. Instead, the small shops were almost on top of each other. You only knew where one started and the other began by their individual styles. They were all quite different, though most seemed to go for the cutesy female vibe, and that was just the clientele that was everywhere. Lots of girls in all sorts of very Japanese styles were milling about. From the conservative long skirt and blouse combination to the black boots and miniskirts ones. It reminded me of the anime Paradise Kiss, which was about young fashion designers and how a young girl finds herself while she becomes a model. It's one of my favourite growing up stories, and I loved the music. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">While I found the fashion on display on the people and in the stores fascinating, I didn't even try to look around. With my body, I knew I was already extra large in regular Japanese stores, so I doubted there would be anything that would even remotely fit me. I was even having a hard time in European stores. Truth be told, I'm fat. I did try a shoe store, but apparently even my feet were too fat. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Once I had my fill in looking, I went outside. I was very much in need of a coffee. I wanted to go to a Starbucks. I have been to one in several countries, so I wanted to check one out in Japan. There was one just by the Shibuya crossing, but I thought it would be very crowded, and on my map I saw one in Shibuya Station. I walked there, and on a list of eateries, there was the Starbucks. I started to look for it, but the layout of the station was quite confusing. As I wandered around, I passed a shop with lots of bags. Now I have been looking for a bag for quite some time. It was not supposed to be big, nor small. It was for travelling, so I wanted pockets. Water resistance was also preferred, and that I can throw it over my shoulder. It also had to be cute and light in weight. One would think the list would not be so difficult to achieve, but I had looked through and dismissed hundreds of bag. The main problem with them? Ugliness. Seriously, there are bag designers out there with ridiculous tastes. However, in this particular shop the bags seemed to have a functional simplicity while also displaying colours. I walked passed it, thinking they would be too expensive for me.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I expected the Starbucks to be somewhere around there, but it wasn't. I sat down on a bench, trying to figure out on my phone where it would be, and to have a little rest. As I sat, I thought about the shop. If there was a bag that would fit what I was looking for, I would be willing to pay a bit more for it. So I returned to it, and found actually a whole lot of bags that I liked. I settled for a blue one made of a water resistant material. It was light, and had a great feature for travel. The zipper for the main pocket was towards me, not the outside. That way it would be harder to get into. The shop assistant tried to find me a bag that was untouched, but the one on display was the last piece, so I took it. It was waiting for me. It wasn't even terribly expensive. The brand is <a href="http://www.anello.jp/en/products/detail/57#" target="_blank">Anello</a>, and as I researched it, it's a popular Japanese brand. I was so happy with my purchase, I sat back on the bench and changed bags. It was slightly smaller, but looked great. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I went outside, around, back in again, and suddenly, I found the café. It was in the proper food court area, which had many eateries all around. The Starbucks was on a sort of half floor. It was pretty full, but I went straight to the counter. Luckily, they spoke English, and I could ask for my favourite caramel coffee with soy milk and I also got a cookie. An interesting thing that I’ve never seen in any Starbucks, but I really loved was that with the soy milk request I got a card that said I asked for it. The guy behind the counter said that I was supposed to give it to the barista, and it was to make sure that they made my coffee with soy milk as requested. I was really happy with that set-up, and thought that it should be something that they did at every Starbucks, or even at every café. The reason for this was that when I was in Turkey, I had a coffee at a Starbucks there. However, some hours after I had all the symptoms of having drank milk. As a lactose intolerant, that’s not nice. It was made worse by the fact that on that day I was flying home. I don’t know if they just ignored my request, didn’t understand it, or just made the coffee in a contaminated container. However, this is why if I had a deadly allergy, I would never eat anything I didn’t make. However, in Japan, they eliminated the chance of any misunderstandings with the simple solution of the card. My coffee was actually ready very quickly, so I had to stall a bit to get a picture of my soy milk card.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I found a seat as someone just left. The Starbucks reminded me of the one I first tried in Munich. At the time there were no Starbucks in Hungary, it was 2009. The first one actually opened the year after, in Budapest. The one in Munich was full of students hitting their books, and having a conversation. This Tokyo Starbucks was similar with a lot of people on laptops, working or studying. I watched them, and also had a conversation with my mum on Facebook Messenger. We once again marvelled at how great technology is, as we could have a nice conversation while we were halfway around the world from each other. My mum often remembers at times like this that when she moved to the US in the 80s, she couldn’t get a letter to her mum for 2 months, and it took 6 months until she could call her on the phone. She even had to go through an operator, as there were no direct international calls at the time. People who never experienced such a separation probably can’t fully appreciate what technology has made possible for us.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">When I have consumed everything, I said goodbye to mum, and went on my way. Only later did I realise that I was probably supposed to put my mug and things somewhere, but in most places there was someone to take them away. Oh well, it was too late. However, as I wandered through the station, I realised that there was an overpass not far from the Starbucks, that had a perfect view of the Shibuya Crossing. I made a quick video of the people passing. I thought of what to do next. The sun was going down, and it was getting late. I decided to postpone the Ebisu Garden Place to a day when I would have a metro pass. Instead, I found that there was another Uniqlo shop nearby, so I decided to get more of their built-in bra tops, because they would be very comfortable for my travels. They were also made of a cooling material, and I thought in the relentless summers that would be a great thing to have. Afterwards, it was time to head towards the apartment, as it would take a while. There was also a Tokyu Hands in Shinjuku, so I made that my target. The walk would be about half an hour. On the way I passed the Johnny’s shop again, which was still completely full. I was quite annoyed by this, as I thought there would be a better way to organise the whole thing than just have people stand in line for hours. I walked on to the <a href="https://www.takashimaya.co.jp/shinjuku/store_information/" target="_blank">Takashimaya Store</a> in Shinjuku, which housed the Tokyu Hands. By the time I got there I was pretty exhausted. I walked through a mostly residential area, with lots of small houses. Everything was very neat, and luckily as the sun set completely, it was somewhat cooler.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The Tokyu Hands was on an upper floor, so I went through the first floor to find the elevator. It was full of luxury brands, and reminded me of some of the department store dramas that I watched. Smartly dressed pretty young women sold high-end products like beautiful bags and watches, two things that I tried to ignore, as I can be quite easily taken by them. When I found the Tokyu Hands upstairs, that too, was closed. I had no idea what was going on with these stores, but apparently it was not my day to visit one. I went outside and found a bench. I was exhausted and my back hurt very badly. I was also very annoyed, because the day had not gone as I planned. It hadn’t been a bad day, but I was in so much pain with my back, and so hot and exhausted, it was all a bit much. I took a deep breath, rested on the bench, and decided to get some dango at the place from yesterday, and a beer at a convini. Beer is actually very good for all sorts of muscle pains, and if you like it, I highly recommend it for any traveller. That was what I did with the rest of my evening, and went to sleep quickly, as in the following day I was going to Hakone, and that was going to be a busy day as well. However, I was looking forward to checking out an onsen there, and thought that the hot springs would be great for my back and also the rest of my body.</span></span></div>
Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374765705460506021noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798423611064486541.post-41657683833569528642018-08-21T23:00:00.000+02:002018-10-06T01:08:36.537+02:00Japan - Travelling from Osaka to Tokyo and Shinjuku Food Tour<div style="text-align: justify;">
I got up pretty early to get ready for the trip to Tokyo. I packed everything, and had cup noodles for breakfast. That way I would be full for longer. I also packed some snacks that I got. I got my suitcase together, packed up the trash and took it down with me. I went to the nearest metro station and looked around for the elevator. I found it easily and navigated to the train station through the metro. I was getting quite good at Japanese public transport. However, as per usual, I got a little bit lost once I got out of the metro, and asked for a local's help. </div>
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I found the ticket machines for the Shinkansen, and tried to buy my ticket on it. However, it asked questions like place ticket or not, and a couple of other things, so I eventually gave up on it. I also wasn't sure you could use a card on it. Behind me, was the ticket office. It said so in big letters. I went there instead, deciding that it was safer to get human help. I got the attendant I didn't really want to get, a stern-looking older guy. His English pronunciation was very hard to understand, and I had to ask him to repeat several times. I think he thought I was a moron, but really, Japanese accents can be really hard. </div>
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The thing is, when you start to learn a language, and how near the new language’s sound system is to your own or ones you learned previously is very important. I actually studied this at university, as I have an MA in TEFL. Oh, and BTW, foreign countries don’t accept my 5 years of schooling, but they often do accept a 6-week course you can take anywhere. Back to languages. I’ve learned that in Japan, they only start learning foreign language at the age of 12. However, that is very late. There are several windows that determine how well you can learn a language, and how strong your accent will be. The first window closes when you’re about 7 months. Your brain prepares you for reproducing sounds, and also the languages you hear until then, will always feel familiar. For example, I always felt warm towards Spanish. I was born in Texas, and while my parents didn’t know anyone speaking Spanish, I have always theorised that maybe some nurses in the hospital spoke it around me, or someone else. Then the next window is around when you’re 7 years old. Your brain finishes acquiring your native language until then, and makes a primary language center in your brain. However, you can cheat it by learning several languages the natural way, by listening to them. No formal training required. After 7 things start to get difficult. Your brain and your system of sound production have basically finished establishing the main sounds you will produce, and forcing your body to produce sounds not learned by then will be difficult, increasingly so as the years progress. You will have less of an accent in languages with similar sound systems, like if you learned Spanish early on, you will have less of an accent in Italian. Funny thing is that Japanese and Hungarian sound systems are very similar. Of course, it also helps if you have musical hearing, or other natural talents. However, Japanese only starting on a language with a very different sound system like English will have very strong accents. I also noticed that they instinctively want to pair consonants with vowels, even if in the language there is none. That’s how you get my favourite “Japanese” expression, dobulu dato (double date). So if Japanese as a whole wanted to improve their English as a nation, which is beneficial for individuals, then they need to start as early as possible, preferably in kindergarden. That was my little two cents on language learning.</div>
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My attendant at the ticket sales, however, probably learned English as an adult, and was therefore struggling a lot with the sounds. I did manage to get through, though with pointing and repetition. As it turned out, I did need to buy a seat ticket. It wasn’t that much more expensive, about 1000 yen, which is 7 GBP. The trains left every ten minutes. I didn’t want to get the next one, as I dreaded rushing, maybe getting lost at the station and missing it. The one after that only had middle seats available, it said so on a screen. I hate sitting in the middle, and on planes it makes me anxious, so I wanted to get the one after that. There were no tickets for the side that would have views of Fuji, but I could get a window seat on the other side. I got my ticket, and I went into the station after putting my ticket through the gate. I got some water, and then went up onto the platform. All the seats below were taken, and I much rather preferred sitting outside anyway.</div>
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As I was waiting, I examined my ticket. That was when I realised that the guy gave me a ticket for the train 10 minutes later than the one I asked for. It was lucky that in Hungary cashiers give out tickets for the wrong train all the time, so I’m used to always checking. Actually, in Hungary once I saw a ticket, where the woman asked for the 5pm train, and got a ticket for the 5am train. When it was just a few minutes until the train was coming, I got up and found my line. There were markers as to which coach stops where. I was getting my camera ready, when a station attendant corrected me, because I was holding the camera in the wrong direction. The beautiful train pulled gently into the station, and I entered it. I thought of putting up my suitcase, but there was no way I was going to lift it, so I just left it next to me. The seats were very comfortable, kind of like an airplane. My body comfortably slumped into it, and I checked the window sill to marvel at how clean it was. There was a table and at your arm a sort of little table under the window. A guy sat down next to the isle, and I got out my camera. I did a video as we pulled out of the station. I was kind of sad to leave, because I really liked Osaka. It also signalled that the first part of my Japan trip was over, and that a week from then I was going to leave. However, I was excited to go to Tokyo finally, the city I’ve seen on so many dramas.<br />
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As we left Osaka behind, I saw people getting bento boxes out. At the station I saw several being sold, and most of the ones on the train did look to have been bought. The boxes looked very pretty, and soon the train filled with the smell of food. A couple of people were also drinking beer. I hadn’t brought a bento box, but I did have some snacks, so during the journey I ate those, and had bottled coffee. Otherwise I took in the scenery and sometimes read a little. The scenery was okay. The train passed through green hills and cities that looked grey in the harsh sunlight. For a while we also passed the sea, and a city that was at a river delta. I did spot the bottom of Mount Fuji through the windows on the opposite side.</div>
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There was a girl in a uniform pushing a cart around, and I remembered the time when we used to have that on trains in Hungary. Eventually everyone just stopped buying things, as they were a lot more expensive. Another thing I noticed was that when we pulled into a station the attendants on the platform always greeted the train with a bow. </div>
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We arrived into Tokyo, but took a while to reach Tokyo station. I leisurely got off, passing cleaning women dressed in pink, ready to board the train and clean. I had gathered all my trash in a bag, and stopped at the recycling bins, like so many others did as well. I took the elevator downstairs, and tried to find the red metro line, the Marunouchi line to take to Shinjuku, where I rented an apartment. The problem was that I would find a sign, follow it, but then there would be a crossing of ways, and no more signs. I found a map, and tried to follow it, but I realised I went the wrong way, so I returned to the map. As I was trying to find the right way in the maze of corridors, two Japanese women were also talking and pointing, and they mentioned the line I wanted to take. So I just outright told them that that’s where I was going as well, and I’m totally lost. Thankfully, they spoke English. One of them went off to try to get directions from someone, and I chatted a bit with the other woman meanwhile. The first woman came back, and she said she got directions, so we followed her. It actually turned out that one of them was from Tokyo herself, but as she didn’t frequent the station, she had no idea how to get around either. It didn’t help that the place was massive.</div>
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Miracle of all miracles, we found the red line! They already had one of those pre-paid cards, so I wanted to find a ticket machine, but couldn’t see any. There was a tourist information centre next to the entrance to the metro, so I went to the counter and asked them. It was well-hidden behind a wall to the side. I got my ticket, and went into the metro. I got out at the right station, but couldn’t remember which way I had to go. I had an idea, but I wanted to double check. I had previously walked around on Google, but that had been some time ago. Not wanting to wander around with a suitcase and a very heavy backpack, I saw a Family Markt and went inside to use the WiFi. I found out that I was right in my determination, and walked to the apartment. I checked in all right. It was a bit shabbier than I would have thought from the pictures. I realised that the problematic bits had been cleverly covered, but it didn’t really matter, as I intended to spend most of my time in bed while in the apartment. The microwave and the fridge worked, so that was good. With the apartment came a pocket WiFi as well, which is a great little gadget. You can connect anything with a WiFi to it, laptops, phones, and take it with you everywhere. You can rent such things while in Japan, but as I knew the apartment would have it, I didn’t get one for myself. Now, I connected my phone to it, and from then on I would have internet everywhere. That is actually a must, as you can’t download an offline Google map in Japan, and getting around in the busy, maze-like city without GPS is incredibly hard. Plus you can post on Instagram from anywhere. I would even chat with my mum online while walking, send her pictures and videos real time. It would be like she was with me!</div>
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I had previously booked a tour to take me around Shinjuku and show me the best places to eat on the <b><a href="https://www.ninjafoodtours.com/tokyo-food-tours/the-best-of-izakaya/" target="_blank">Ninja Food Tours</a></b>. I booked directly with their site. I was a bit afraid that the tour wouldn’t happen as they needed at least two people for each date, and being a solo traveller, that can be a problem. Luckily, they confirmed my reservation, so it was a go. I booked it for my first evening in Tokyo for several reasons. I knew that I’d be tired from travelling and the previous day, so I didn’t want to do anything too strenuous. Also, I figured if I knew the best places to eat around my apartment, it would be easier to go somewhere close in the evenings. </div>
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I used the GPS to find the rendezvous point, and it was very hard to watch where I was going, because I kept wanting to look up at the tall buildings, the billboards, everything. I went under an overpass, and saw a few homeless people. Then I arrived, and didn’t see anyone. I double-checked the time, I was on time, then the location, that was correct too. So I decided to wait. A guy came out of the cinema behind me, and asked me if I was there for the tour. I told him yes, and he let me know that they were waiting inside, as it was so incredibly hot outside. I went inside myself. We were apparently waiting for a group of people. They didn’t arrive for a while, and weren’t answering any calls, so I started off with one of the guys. We walked around the Golden Gai, he talked about the history of the place, we talked about other things, and then arrived to our first food destination. It was a standing takoyaki bar. We met up with the other guide there, apparently the other people never showed. I got some water from a pitcher on the counter, and I got to eat all the takoyaki balls. It was my first time, and I really found it delicious.<br />
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Next, we went to a sushi place. They gave me water in a beautiful glass. Then I had the sushi. The fish was so fresh, I had the urge to poke it to see if it would move. There were pieces with different marinade as well. We moved on after a few pieces. </div>
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After that came some okonomiyaki. Now there are two styles. I’ve had the Osaka style, and they were taking me to a Hiroshima style okonomiyaki place. While in Osaka they mix the ingredients, in Hiroshima they layer them. To start with, I had some grilled octopus. Then they asked me if I wanted some alcohol, and of course I did. I had a few things to choose from, but I ended up picking something they said they drink in Tokyo. It’s a beer-flavoured drink called a Hoppy, mixed in with some sort of a strong liquor. The liquor in this case was Shōchū. I liked it a lot. We shared the okonomiyaki, and I was already getting pretty full. A funny thing was that on the toilet door there was a picture of Perfume being there, the girl group whose CD I bought in Osaka.</div>
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On the way to the next place the guys asked me how I was with non-traditional chicken meat. I told them that in Hungary we eat all sorts, especially liver, which I love. We also have a blood sausage, that is one of my favourites. They were a bit weirded out by that. In the UK, I’ve also eaten stuff like kidney, and other parts. In the yakitori, grilled chicken skewers, place we ate some liver, kidneys, neck, shoulder, and other parts all deliciously seasoned. They also served a side salad and a rice thing that was grilled with soy sauce. I also had another round of the Hoppy mix. Once I was practically bursting, we left. </div>
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We had a nice walk, went through “Piss alley”, an alleyway lined with small eateries and thus called because there was just one toilet for the whole street. Not anymore, I can testify. At Shinjuku station I had dango. I always wanted to try it, and the one I had had a sauce of honey and soy sauce on it. Very delicious, a good mixture of sweet and sour. That was the end of the tour.<br />
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They asked me if I had any questions, if they could help me with something in Tokyo. They had previously explained that Shinjuku station was one of the biggest stations in the world. Two days from then I wanted to go to Hakone, and knew there was a place to get the Hakone Freepass. So I asked them to show me where the ticket counter was, as I didn’t want to go looking for it in that huge place. They did, and we said goodbye. I went outside the closest door, to observe where I was exactly. </div>
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Night had fallen already, and the billboards were even more mesmerising than before. I felt the buzz of the alcohol, and called mum to chat about my day. I went into a convini to buy some things for breakfast, and other foods. I got quite a lot, and then went home.</div>
Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374765705460506021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798423611064486541.post-65801422115290151552018-08-20T23:00:00.000+02:002018-10-04T16:15:04.688+02:00Japan - Universal Studios Japan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My last day in Osaka started with being very tired after the day before. I wanted to be in the Universal Studios Japan bright and early, but I only ended up getting there at around 10. When I got off the train, a huge crowd got off with me. I hurried to get to the park, but as I discovered, some of the people weren't going there. Before the park there was already a busy entertainment area with gaming places, shops and restaurants. As I was approaching the entrance, I felt my heart beat faster. I was excited for the whole experience as I've never been to such a place before. I first wanted to get a ticket, then take my picture in front of the Universal globe, which was pretty cool in itself. </div>
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I didn't have to wait long, and I had already purchased my ticket and got my map and information package. After the pictures and video, I finally entered. It was beyond cool! The sets, the shops, the whole atmosphere made me instantly happy and I just wanted to act like a kid. Surprisingly to me, I saw many adults without kids. Some in groups or couples, friends, some dressed up as characters. I didn't stick out too much! </div>
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I headed to the board by the lake first. Yes, there's a lake! So on the board they had the wait times for the rides, and they seemed ridiculously long. So I hung out around the lake a bit first. There were carnival games there, and I thought of trying one out, but then I remembered that I almost flunked PE because I never managed to throw the ball into the hoop in the basketball portion of the class. The teacher said she'd never seen a person not throw it in even once. </div>
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I gathered myself and headed straight to the main event for me, Wizarding World. I passed through a small version of Central Park, then headed right. There were stones to mark the entrance, and a path lead through a forest from which all sorts of sounds came. I came across the Weasleys’ car first, which was swarmed by tourists taking pictures. I was too excited to wait long, so I went on to Hogsmead / Diagon Alley. It was gorgeous! The Hogwarts Express was on my right, and the buildings were covered in snow like when they would go on a Hogsmead trip. The Three Broomsticks was on the left, along with some shops. Butterbeer was sold from stalls shaped like huge barrels. At the end of the road Hogwarts rose over the scene, with a perfect view from the dark lake. It was like a dream! I seriously didn’t want to leave, too bad they didn’t actually have rooms in the Three Broomsticks.</div>
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I ran straight to take pictures of Hogwarts. I took pictures with camera, selfies, and even just stood and stared at it, probably grinning like a maniac. It suddenly started to rain, and I ran into the first shop. The first part of it was a robes and stationery shop. I looked around and considered getting a few things, but then I saw that towards the back there was another shop, which was Ollivander’s! I have previously decided to get a wand, so I went inside. They had replicas of the wands of all the main characters, even the Elder wand. I touched the displays, marvelled at the different kinds. Then there was a section with wands that were supposed to match your personality. I didn’t read the descriptions on purpose. I considered getting Severus’ wand, but in the end I decided that I wanted one not tied to a person. I looked at which ones I liked, and decided on holly, which was actually for leaders. In fact, Harry’s wand was also of holly. I really liked the feel of it too, so I bought it.</div>
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There is a game that goes with buying a wand. You have stations to go to, need to say a spell, do a wand movement, and your environment does something. I only did one station as there was quite a line, and in the end it didn’t give me as much satisfaction as I hoped it would. Still, I was happy about actually getting the wand. </div>
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Then I headed to Honeydukes, which is combined by Zonko’s. I really loved the window displays for the place, as they were fun. Inside you could get various pumpkin stuff, every flavour beans, chocolate frogs, and some more sweets. I got the beans and the frog. It had Gilderoy Lockhart in it, which I found funny. I also got a pink pygmy puff, which is adorable. When I paid, they were supposed to do this whole ritual of naming my puff, but as the cashier didn’t really speak English, and I didn’t know about it, we just ended up not doing it. I call her pygmy puff anyway.</div>
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I was getting hungry, as I only had a light breakfast. Of course, I couldn’t eat anywhere else other than the Three Broomsticks. They have a menu in English as well. The line was kind of long, but it kept up a good pace, so it wasn’t so bad. The staff didn’t really speak English, but they had a way of getting around that. There was a big board with the menu, and then a woman held up a sign that explained the ordering system. You go to a cashier and order. I got shepherd's pie with a salad and butterbeer. The cashier pointed it out to me that if I ordered a butterbeer medium or large, I could keep the cup. I wanted a medium one anyway, so that was cool. Then there were three kinds of sauce I could get for my salad. They had a board for that too, so I read what was in them, and pointed. I could finally pay with a card! Then she directed me with my receipt to a window where I would get my food. I went there, got my tray, and then headed to the condiments and cutlery section. From there, I looked around for a seat, but of course, there were people to seat you as well. I got to the first person at the entrance of the area, was asked how many, </div>
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and I said “single”. She lead me deeper inside, then handed me off to another person, who then finally got me to my table. I sat down, and took my first sip of butterbeer. It was nice. A bit sweeter than I’d imagined, especially on such a hot day, but I enjoyed it. I also really liked the cup that I got. It was made of plastic, which would be good for my air travel. However, the plastic was a very good quality, hard plastic, almost like glass. It looked good too. Had to take a selfie. The pie was delicious and hot. I picked an onion sauce for the salad, and it went very well with the pie, as I expected. Actually, I think it was a great sauce, and while I’ve never thought of putting onion sauce on salads before, it was definitely something worth exploring in the future.<br />
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Once I gathered myself enough to get on my way again, I went to check out wait times for the rides. They were still pretty long, but I spotted a performance on the stage. It was the introduction of the two other Magical schools, Durmstrang and Beauxbatons. Sadly, I only caught the tail end of the guys, but I could fully record the girls. Very pretty.</div>
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After that, the butterbeer was getting to me, and I had to use the ladies’. Moaning Myrtle is in there! She was speaking in Japanese though, must have learned when she came over. (Yeah, I’m kidding around.) There were people resting under the Owlery, not afraid of the guano, so I checked that out. It opened to a shop that was first for all sorts of Quidditch things, where you could also get some fridge magnets. They had a cage there, where a Monster Book of Monsters was locked up, occasionally scaring the patrons. It opened up to an owl shop, where you could get stuffed owls, feather pens and journals to write in. Next door was also the clothing shop with robes and jewellery. I got some things, mostly Slytherin, as I’m in Slytherin. Got sorted on Pottermore and everything, though I always knew that was my house. I didn’t get a scarf, although I wanted to, but my skin is very delicate and I felt that it may irritate it.</div>
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I have basically checked out everything there was to see, so it was time for me to try to go for the rides. On my way, I saw another performance on stage. Kids from all four houses were fighting something. After that, I hurried to the Flight of the Hippogriff.</div>
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Now I’ve never been on a roller coaster, ever. In my country there aren’t that many amusement parks. There used to be a small one in my city, but it mostly had the kind of rides where you sit in a car that is attached to a rod and it just goes up and down. Very sedate, it’s more about the wind in your hair than speed or anything. There was a bigger one in the capital, but it closed down. I’m not even sure if there are any left in the country. Aqua Parks are a lot more popular. Therefore, as my first roller coaster ride ever, I decided to go with the one that felt the least scary, the Hippogriff ride. It had a 60 minute wait time, which may sound like much to some, but as I also saw 240-minute wait times on some rides, it was okay. It had a winding line in a wooded area of the Wizarding World, with Hagrid’s Hut in the middle. Sadly, the trees hadn’t grown tall enough to provide much of a shade, so I was looking at spending most of my wait in the sun. I wished there were benches, and I had an umbrella. </div>
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Lots of Japanese carry umbrellas not against the rain, but against the sun. They value light skin, unlike us Europeans, where tanning is a thing. I’m pretty light skinned, and don’t tan much, so people often ask me if I’m okay, as I’m so pale. Why I wear makeup. I wouldn’t want to scare the people who see my videos. :D</div>
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While I waited, I took out my phone and started on my blog entry. Why I love smart phones so much, they are small entertainment systems in themselves. Even without a WiFi, I had plenty to do on it to occupy myself. Behind me, a German couple waited, and I sometimes also amused myself with practicing my German by listening in on their conversation. It wasn’t anything particularly interesting though. At around the halfway point there was a water fountain, and everyone made good use of it. We all ran out of water by that point.</div>
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Inevitably, I finally got to the ride, and sat in one of the chairs. I was pretty scared, though I was also a tiny bit concerned over all of my stuff being in a quite open closet. I told the woman sitting next to me that it was my first time on a roller coaster, and she said hers too! It started out slow, and I was fine with that. Then suddenly, it dashed down, took a turn, and started whooshing about! My stomach was in my throat, my body was being jerked about in the hard seat, my brain was screaming at me for doing this, and I was half sure that I’m going to die. Then it was suddenly over, and the relief was mixed in with exhilaration, and the strange want of doing it again. When we pulled in and I got out, I was still kind of in shock and dazed. I got my stuff, and stumbled in front of the ride to do a video.</div>
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I looked around that part as well, and saw that there was another shop, with sort of a collection from all the other shops. Off to the side they also had the last stop of the wand challenge. I wondered what to do. I wanted to do the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride, but there was a 2 hour wait there. I decided to try and get on it at night. It was inside Hogwarts anyway. Looking around, I realised I've done everything there, and after 4 hours, it was time to explore the rest of the park. I was sad to leave, because just like you can't experience the books ever again as you did the first time, you can't see Hogwarts and Hogsmead again for the first time either.<br />
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I walked outside wondering what to do. I had a heavy bag of goodies, and knew that I couldn't carry it around all day. I pulled out my map to look for storage lockers. I saw plenty before. I spotted some next door, in Wonderland. </div>
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I headed there, and saw that it was the area for small children. There were rides with Hello Kitty, bright pinks and blues everywhere. Everything was so cute! I saw a beautiful carousel, little children driving around in cars. I looked for the lockers and found them next to a family room. They were all occupied, so I looked for the next place to have some. There was an area by the entrance, so I headed that way while marvelling at the long line of strollers next to a ride. As I exited the area, I heard music and singing, and saw that in front of the diner there was a performance going on. It was really good. There were four people, two guys and two girls singing and dancing, all individually dressed and acting.</div>
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I passed the board for the ride times, and had a look. The Sailor Moon 4D movie only had 20 minutes, so I hurried to it. Now let me tell you about Sailor Moon and me. I first saw it on Hungarian TV, with an opening in French. However, as per usual on Hungarian TV, they just stopped airing it one day. I was 12 at the time, and really wanted to know what was going on. I looked, and found that they had it on one of the German channels. I had just started to learn German, so it was a great opportunity to learn. I can still sing the German opening, which is actually very good. They did a techno version too. Sailor Moon was actually the first anime I saw. As soon as I could get stuff off the Internet, I got Sailor Moon with subtitles, and rewatched it in my 20s. Still very good. Yes, the Sailor Star Lights confused the hell out of me at 12,and I still don't really get how that was supposed to work. New version, you ask? I saw it, but while the graphics are nicer, I prefer the original. They pray in the new one! Pray! I'm sure there was no mention of god in the old version, or I blocked it out. </div>
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Anyway, back to the movie. I stood in line, and fairly quickly we were ushered into the theatre. We got into this room with screens all around above us. They made some introduction of the story and also commercial for a Sailor Moon heart wand that you can buy. And then repeat. In Japanese. After a while it was getting boring and people grew louder around me. Finally, the doors to the screening room opened, and I could go in. I wanted to get a seat more down, but I could only get into the last row. The seats didn't have enough dip, and I saw several heads in front of me. I put on the 3D glasses, and the show began. I won't go into details, but it was a lot of fun. The chair moved, I got water sprayed on, and Sailor Moon saved us all. Of course, in Japanese, but I understood the gist of it, and the visuals were great! I came out very happy. Especially that 12-year-old girl inside me, who watched every episode so diligently, and would have never believed that she would see something like that growing up with a single mum and never enough money. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP4wLpqWeHDS20LdV-dAFaA96L3ALBzh4VXpmyY-wPY9_Fq2KzFhEdVI1SxQN3WzuzYdUWgSvHxoy59ZJQXyI00pT_chqNQc-6jKwiNiq5bdUIBf3snj5pSS4lwHvAdaxhb88uA8ywc0s/s1600/DSC03729.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP4wLpqWeHDS20LdV-dAFaA96L3ALBzh4VXpmyY-wPY9_Fq2KzFhEdVI1SxQN3WzuzYdUWgSvHxoy59ZJQXyI00pT_chqNQc-6jKwiNiq5bdUIBf3snj5pSS4lwHvAdaxhb88uA8ywc0s/s320/DSC03729.JPG" width="320" /></a>On the way out, they had the shop, with the wands that the commercial was for, and it was also featured in the movie. I played around with the one on display a bit, and filmed the place, while almost stepping on a child. It was a bit crowded in there, and the displays didn't exactly make things easy. Luckily, this wasn't the country where such an accident would bring about verbal abuse by the mother, which in other countries can be a common occurrence. I have been told off a couple of times for kids bumping into me, not letting kids touch me, so I'm very careful nowadays. For many people their children seem to be innocent darlings that just want to play and run around in stores, crowds, and if anything happens, it's not their fault. I grew up in such a different world. </div>
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I went outside without buying anything, and feeling the heaviness of my bag, went on the hunt for the lockers again. At the entrance I first searched on the wrong side, but was quickly directed to the other one. I needed 400 yen, and used a change machine to get it. I put my things in, and following instructions, locked it. Using my spacial memory, I observed the position of the locker to get to it more easily, and put my key away. Much lighter now, I decided to go through the rest of the park and explore everything. I made note of the Evangelion ride, which had long wait times. </div>
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Neon Genesis Evangelion is a classic anime that is usually well-known among anime fans, but not so much among regular people. It's a complicated story, and frankly, I could understand it until about halfway through, as then things get weird. It's also very psychological. The main story is that huge aliens called “angels” are attacking the world. Have already destroyed Tokyo twice, and Tokyo 3 is a city that can be submerged underground in case of an attack. Humans have built EVAs, huge robots to fight them, but as they use a neuron interface, only prepubescent children can pilot them. The catch is, because of the interface the kids feel everything that happens to the robots. Including when in the first episode an angel tears the arm off of one. Yeah, it's for adults. It also has a killer theme that's very popular. This was also one of my favourite things, so it definitely felt like the park was catering for me.<br />
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I went on to explore other parts of the park. I passed an area with fake grass that was specifically for picnics, named Gramercy Park. Lots of people were lounging around there, especially teens in various groups. The Spider-man ride was temporarily closed, and I hoped it would be back up, as Spidey was one of my favourite superheroes. I liked that he was a regular guy who got superpowers by accident, and just wanted to help people, while he also had to go to school, hold down a job and pay the bills. The ride itself was in an area that looked like an older part of New York. After that I arrived back to the lake, but I took a turn to the left, to explore Minion Park.</div>
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Minion Park is probably the loudest, most crowded and the most colourful part of the park. Probably the most insane as well. It feels like it was crammed into its area. There are games to play where you can win plushies, a big store full of minion things, and a few rides. The main ride, the Minion Mayhem also had an insanely long wait time, so I decided to go on that if I had time. My favourite thing there was the fountain, as I thought it was very imaginative and unique. There was also a small part of the grass again, and I sat down to get a little rest. Meanwhile, I watched people trying to win minions. They were very cute, but huge! Definitely not something for a plane ride. I also saw lots of people dressed up as minions, adults and children alike, often carrying the unicorn backpack that they had so much of in the shop. It reminded me of a girl at university who used to carry a sheep backpack. I thought of going to negotiations with a unicorn backpack, and had a little laugh.</div>
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I went back to the lake, and to the San Francisco area. It had pretty good foods to choose from, but I wasn’t hungry. However, it probably had the best selection from all the areas I’ve seen, including vendors selling small bites, so I’d definitely recommend it.</div>
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Next came the Jurassic Park area, with the huge Flying Dinosaur ride above it. Frankly, I wouldn’t go on that thing if they’d pay me. It looked incredibly scary. The surroundings were made out like a tropical resort, as the movies originally took place on a tropical island. There was lush vegetation, They had some food areas there as well, including a place where you could get big drumsticks. A shop sold all sorts of dinosaur toys. It also had an automated Velociraptor in a cage that was pretty cool. Of course, it was movie accurate. After the first movie came out scientists realised they had feathers, and therefore the movie depiction became incorrect. Of course, now we’re stuck with this image of the species. The feathers were for keeping the eggs warm, not for flight, and this way we know they were warm-blooded. I became interested in dinosaurs when I was 6, not because of Jurassic Park, but I still loved the movies for being the only footage at the time where we could see these creatures moving about. I would have loved to be a kid on that island before the screaming and dying. There was also another ride, which was a wet ride. I wasn’t very interested in that one, and moved on fairly quickly.</div>
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After that came the Amity Village, which for me was the least interesting part of the park. It had a nautical theme to it. It also had the Jaws ride, another wet one, with long wait times. I walked around, and then just moved on, not really interested. Waterworld was closed, as it was being rebuilt. I went back to Central Park, intent on having another sit-down. I did find a bench, but didn't stay on it long. I wandered around, took some pictures of the stars on the main street. They had such greats as Larry Hagman and Gene Kelly. </div>
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I ended up back at Gramercy park. My back was killing me again, so I took out my studio map, and lay down with my head on it. I decided to plan the rest of my day. It was only past 4pm, so I still had plenty of time until the night parade and the time when it would probably be easier to get into the Hogwarts ride. I wasn’t exactly sure when the night parade would take place. It was summer, so the sun set late, and obviously the night parade would be at night. I took out all the information that I was given, but none said when it was. I was thinking of what to do, and thought of maybe doing the Terminator 3D if the wait time was short enough. So I got up, and went there, when I spotted a park worker. I thought I’d take a chance, and asked her what time the night parade was. She informed me it was at 8pm. The park was open until 10pm, so I figured that I’d be able to get into the Hogwarts ride in the 90 minutes. However, there was some time until 8pm. I have walked around, I wasn’t hungry, so I had a look at the Evangelion line, and it said 90 minutes for the singles line.</div>
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At Universal Studios Park a lot of rides have two lines. Usually the singles line has less wait time. That line is for people who are either alone, or are willing to be separated during the ride. As most rides have even numbered seats, there would often be a hole in the case of groups that have an odd number of people in them. So they make up the empty spaces with the people in the singles line.</div>
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To stand in line for the Evangelion ride I had to put my small bag into a locker. It was free, and the key had a wrist band, so that way it would be really hard to lose it. I still grabbed my phone, because if I was going to wait in line for 90 minutes, I was going to occupy myself with something. I was also too tired to stand, so I just sat down on the ground. It was kind of clean, and I was wearing jeans, so I really didn’t care. There were two young guys before me, and they would sometimes mock fight each other. I kept a safe distance from their antics. On the screens throughout the waiting area a footage was playing where the characters of the show explain that there had been an angel attack. That had subtitles, which was good. As we got to a more inner part of the line, I saw that they were letting in some people from the singles line in after they let a group from the other lines in. They were giving out some sort of card, that I wasn’t really sure what it was for. As we waited to be let in into the inner part, there was also more footage playing on a bigger screen, but it wasn’t important. I was let in, and had to walk through a maze of metal walkways, with scenes of angel attacks playing on the walls. Then I got to the part where through several windows we could see people getting into small carts two-by-two. On screens we were instructed on how to put on the VR headsets. They were very secure, and you could even adjust the focus for people with glasses. They handed out cases for the glasses as well, that people could wear around their necks. Finally, it was my turn to go. I actually joined a group of teens, four guys and a girl. Of course, they were first asked. I wonder if anyone ever said no, but it was nice of them to ask anyway. I was kind of nervous, as the whole ride was inside, and I had no idea what to expect. Still, I always say, even if you fear something, do it if it’s not too dangerous. I sat down, adjusted my VR glasses, and an attendant checked that they were secure on my head. My pockets were too small for my phone, so I quickly unbuttoned my trousers and stored it in my trousers. The safety hold came down, and we were off. </div>
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On the VR I saw that I was sitting in the back of a two-seater chopper. It was taking me around a huge fight between EVA and angels. There were buildings collapsing around me, and my pilot was trying not to get us crushed. The speed was dizzying, and when an angel suddenly appeared in front of me, I screamed really hard. The whole experience was fast, dizzying, crazy, and crazy good. I screamed a lot, and I was very scared, but I was also enjoying it in an insane way. When it ended, I kind of wanted to do it again. I got outside in a daze, pumped from the experience. I kind of wanted to jump up and down from the adrenalin rush. I really have no idea if there was an actual ride inside the building, or what happened to me outside the VR, but the speed and the dips felt very real. I also think that not actually seeing it helped, because if it looked like in reality like some of the outside rides, then I would have never gone on it.</div>
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While I was inside, it had gotten dark. The lights came on, and the park was as bright as day. There were people sitting on the sidewalks, with blankets on the ground, waiting for the parade to start. I, on the other hand, was hungry. I wanted to try out the 50s diner, so I headed in that direction. I also checked the Hogwarts wait times, as I still had 45 minutes until the parade, but it was still very long. I went into the diner instead. I got a burger meal with melon soda. </div>
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I’ve never even heard of melon soda before, so I had to try it. I got some ketchup at the condiments table, and found a seating for myself. I also looked outside, but of course they were all taken in preparation for the parade. I decided I liked the melon soda, even though it was a bit sweet. The fries were crispy, and the burger seriously wonderful. The meat was a really good quality, and the flavours were on spot. I had a great meal. After visiting the ladies’, I went outside to look for a spot to watch the parade from. </div>
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A couple of people just left the second row, and I hurried to get the spot. I specifically chose the area in front of the screen that displayed the wait times for the rides, because that was the closest to the Harry Potter area. My plan was that as soon as the last parade element went down, I would hurry as fast as possible to the Hogwarts ride. I sat down behind a group of friends dressed as minions, with actual minions, popcorn holder minions, and basically anything they could think of putting minions on. Next to me was a mum and her daughter. They were taking selfies of each other, and it reminded me of my mum, and how before I left we took selfies at a restaurant. I missed my mum, but I knew she wouldn’t have been able to physically do the trip. All the video that I was shooting was mainly for her, to send home this world that I was seeing. As we all sat, a guy came through, and told everyone that only the first row could sit on the ground, the second row had to stand up. So I reluctantly stood. The parade began later than 8pm, but as the wait times display said 30 minutes for the Hogwarts ride, I wasn’t worried. Okay, maybe a little.<br />
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Finally, the parade began. First, there was a huge drum thing, playing music. Then came the Harry Potter section. When the Hogwarts Express pulled up puffing, with the fog and the lights, my fangirling heart skipped a beat. It was kind of emotional, though I wasn’t sure why. I guess when you’re truly a fan of a fantasy world, seeing things come alive from it is very special. Then there were more Harry Potter themed floats. Quidditch players came with the house flags, and I couldn’t resist shouting “Slytherin!” House pride and all that. After that the Transformers section played. They had a huge Bumblebee, which was moving and everything. Did I mention that I used to watch the original cartoon in the 80s? We’ve had huge robots, then came dinosaurs, the Jurassic Park portion. I’ve already talked about my love of dinosaurs. At last, they closed with the minions, which weren’t as interesting as the previous ones, especially because those played out little stories that you can see on the video. However, they were the funniest, and had the best music.<br />
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As I saw that is was the end, I shut my camera off, but it into my bag, and I was speeding to Harry Potter. I wasn’t alone, so when I saw some other people running, I started too. They put that ride really far into the park, and it was quite a way away. So when I finally got there, and stood in the line, I bent over, panting, trying to get oxygen into my lungs again. It had been a tiring day, and it took a lot out of me. Suddenly, we were going inside. We were ushered to lockers again, as we had to put our bags away. I didn’t take anything with me, just put the whole thing in there, locked, and I was going through Hogwarts. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_vdlulwqaDaqJqL2h3w87TnHeRD3q0AzvlRU_WK8JJydbq5SP-zhzpv74QGHaPpE0StmmX1UjcOm5tOfvpX1f8GdbGZenER4IjS0OR8HuWQB9Ll5sBFnmS2xvpGO4-5tb9z51bCsK1Q/s1600/DSC03830.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_vdlulwqaDaqJqL2h3w87TnHeRD3q0AzvlRU_WK8JJydbq5SP-zhzpv74QGHaPpE0StmmX1UjcOm5tOfvpX1f8GdbGZenER4IjS0OR8HuWQB9Ll5sBFnmS2xvpGO4-5tb9z51bCsK1Q/s320/DSC03830.JPG" width="320" /></a>It really was set up in there like Hogwarts, with moving paintings, fireplaces ready to flo, and other displays. While people waited in line, they could really take it in. I, on the other hand, didn’t have to wait at all. I walked up right to the start of the line, and I was alone in the singles lane. Almost right away a group of three arrived, and I was in my seat. It was one of those things where you’re sitting, but your feet are dangling in air, which kind of made it scarier. The story was that Harry is trying to lead you somewhere, and the journey takes you through all sorts of scary things. You chase a snitch, see Aragog, scream your head off because there’s a huge spider. Or just me. Then dementors come and the room is so cold. I shouted for chocolate, but no one gave me any. I also shouted Expecto Patronum at one point. You really are taken through all the scary bits in the story, and then come out giggling. Or that was just me too. Either way, it was a great ride, not as up and down as Evangelion, but it did have a few bumps. They gave me a number at the start, as they took a picture of me at some point, which I could purchase on the way out. I didn’t intend to buy it, but I decided to have a look at it. So I took my bag out, and exited through the shop under Hogwarts. They had the picture at a counter there, and showed it to me on a screen when I gave them the number. I looked like a crazy person on it, as I was shouting something, or just screaming at the time. It was quite funny, but I didn’t get it. I left, and got some night time shots of the Harry Potter area. I left with a heavy heart, as I knew I may never return.</div>
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I went to the board with the wait times, hoping that maybe I could get onto something at the last hour of the park being open. The Spider-man ride was available, and only had 15 minutes on it. It was also at the other end of the park. I hurried as much as I could, and was ushered in as I got there. I spotted a man with a small child outside, and the child had disappointment on his face. He was probably too little for the ride. I went straight in, and there was no one else in the singles line. I barely had to wait a few minutes, and a group with an odd number was next. I sat in a car, and was given 3D glasses. In this case the story was that you’re in this car, trying to get through New York, but all sorts of villains are attacking Spider-man, with you caught in the middle. I got water sprayed on, there was fire, Spider-man jumped onto the car, he caught us in a web, all sorts of cool and exciting things. I was again very pumped when I came out.<br />
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I had a last stroll around the park, the lights were going out, places were closing. It was time to go back to the apartment, but I was sad to go. It had been such a great experience. However, it was time, and I took out my shopping from the locker, and headed back to the train. I double checked what I needed to buy as train ticket on the WiFi of a Lawson’s near the station. The shops and entertainment areas around the park were still open, and I may have lingered, but the next day I had to take a train to Tokyo, and I needed to sleep.<br />
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I got on the train, and strangely, it spent about a quarter hour at the next stop. I never found out why, but then it started up again. On my way home, I stopped at a convini. I saw a bag of snacks that looked like potato chips, but I had to make sure, so I asked the attendant. He just kept saying that it was spicy. Told him I didn't care, I eat spicy. In the end he confirmed that it was potato. It's not easy having food allergies with a labelling that you can't read. That really had been my most troubling aspect of Japan, and I’m lucky none of my allergies are lethal.<br />
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I finally got back, and wound down by packing up my suitcase. I also talked to my mum online, and spent some time telling her about my day and the mother-daughter duo I saw. I hoped that when that girl got to be my age, she would call her mum every day too.</div>
Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374765705460506021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798423611064486541.post-62933561816616100362018-08-19T23:00:00.000+02:002018-09-29T14:12:18.734+02:00Japan - Kyoto<div style="text-align: justify;">
This was the day I was going to Kyoto. I was happy to see another sunny day, but also dreading the heat it would bring. I got up a bit later than I wanted, but it was very late when I got in. I had a very small breakfast, and was on my way to the train.</div>
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The plan was to take the metro from Nipponbashi station and then on with connecting trains to Kyoto. The description on Google Maps was a bit confusing, as it once said, stay on the vehicle, but it also said it was a different line. I wasn’t sure how that would work, so I only got my ticket to Tenjinbashisuji 6-chome Station. I figured that if I went further, then I can always make up the difference.</div>
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Since the day before I had the Pass, I didn’t have to deal with the details of the metro system. On the day I arrived I managed to get the tickets with some help, and I had watched videos previously as to how to use the metro in Japan. So basically, you have many kinds of machines. As a tourist, you’ll probably not going to get the top-up card, because that can be as much hassle as getting regular tickets. Day passes are great, but sometimes you don’t need to travel all that much in one day. That’s when you pay line by line. Now in Osaka there is really just one metro, but several trains. Those are more expensive, so metro is better. You can work out on Google how it’s cheaper for where you want to go, as they will tell you the prices. Now you get to these machines, and as I found, there are two kinds. In one you put the money in first, the other after you selected the ticket. If the button for ticket selection isn’t working, or there, then it’s the first type. How much you have to pay you can look up on Google, or on one of the maps. Usually these maps have things in English as well, but not always. A trick that you can use if you are lost is just pay once you arrive. To do that, you get the cheapest available ticket. You go into the station, get to where you want to go. You have to put your ticket through again to get out of the station, so make sure you take it with you when you enter. If your ticket has less than what you should have paid, there is another machine nearby. You just need to put your ticket in there, it’ll tell you how much more you have to pay, and you’re done. No one is going to take you away in handcuffs.</div>
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So on that day I selected the first station where I may need to change, and just went with that. I got on the train, and it reached the station. From the metro car you can always see big signs that will tell you where you are, what’s the next and the preceding station. I saw on that board that the next station was where I needed to go, so I stayed on board. That was when the metro became a train. It went above ground, and that was why Google had it as a different line, while staying in the same car. By this time I had turned around in my seat, which was facing backward, to look out the window and do videos. People were eyeing me, because I wasn’t sitting properly, but I didn’t care. I wanted to see what was going on outside. The metro car took me as far as Awaji Station. I went down the steps to look for my train. A station manager saw that I was looking around lost, and asked me where I was going. I told him Arashiyama Station. The train was actually leaving from the opposite tracks from where I got off. So I went back up, and sat down on a bench to wait. The train that looked like another metro came quickly, and I sat down.</div>
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At Katsura Station, I had to change to a proper train. While I was waiting, I was taking selfies, and I marveled at how clean a station bench could be. In Hungary, they are usually something that you only sit on if the announcer says your train is 10 minutes late when it’s already 20 minutes late. Then you know you’re in there for the long haul. My train in Japan, however, arrived just as the sign said it would.</div>
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It looked very interesting. Kind of like something from an older era, which gave it a certain charm. The auburn cars gleamed in the light, and the green and brown interior felt comfortable. I sat down, and waited for it to start. When it pulled in, everyone got off, so this was the last stop for it. Meanwhile I could make use of the station wifi. A few official people walked through the train, checking to make sure no luggages were left. They just found one, when a guy arrived in a rush. It was his bag. Then a younger guy came, and started to look around the seat in front of me. I asked him if he lost something, and he said money. There wasn’t anything, so he moved on, after seeming to have a brainwave. Maybe he had been sitting in another car. I didn’t want to lecture him on keeping stuff in pockets.<br />
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So the train finally pulled off, and it didn’t have a long way to go. When we did arrive, I didn’t even try to put my ticket through. I knew I underpaid. I made it up, and went outside. There was really not much to go on, but everyone else was heading in one direction, so I just followed. The most people always tend to go to the tourist places. I passed through a nice row of possible restaurants, but as it was morning everything was still closed. I had used the station wifi to set my path on Google Maps, so I easily found the <b><a href="https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g298564-d665440-Reviews-Monkey_Park_Iwatayama-Kyoto_Kyoto_Prefecture_Kinki.html" target="_blank">Arashiyama Monkey Park</a></b> that was my first destination. On the way I saw a couple get off a boat and be lead to their lodgings. Must have been quite the way to get to where you were staying. They were greeted by some people from their ryokan. It looked nice from the outside. The name of the place was Hanaikada, and when I looked it up online later, I found that it’s a pretty cool place.</div>
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Initially, I didn’t plan on going to the Monkey Park, but then I saw a couple of pictures and I decided I wanted to see the monkeys. It was easy to find the path going up the hill. At the entrance, there was also a small shrine, which was very picturesque. I got my ticket, and kept on up. A bit on the way there was a sign for no photos going up, which was a bit weird. There was quite a climb. There were several benches along the way, and the trees did provide a nice shade. However, the heat was relentless. At one stop there was some information about the monkeys. I did spot a grammar mistake. Going up was very slow. It was hot and I had to keep stopping in fear of overheating. </div>
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I spotted a monkey on the way. There was some sort of rest house as well, but it didn’t look very inviting. It was next to a small playground. A part of the way down actually had a slide, but it looked very child-sized, otherwise I would have gone down on it. My fat behind would have got stuck.</div>
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I reached the top and was immediately directed to the little house there. At the door I was given a small wet towel out of a ice box, and entered. There were places to sit, toilets on a corridor, and the place was cooled in spite of not having windows. That was where you could feed the monkeys from. There was a steel screen instead of windows, and the monkeys would pick the food up through there. Like you being in the cage and the monkeys outside. You couldn’t just feed the monkeys anything, you had to get it in there, as there was a little shop. Not very expensive, 100 yen for a small pack.</div>
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I took some video and pictures inside to cool down, and then went outside. It was fun watching the monkeys interact, climb all over the house, fight with each other. There was also a pond, but surprisingly not a lot of them were using it in spite of the heat. I would have loved to jump in there.</div>
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The view from up there was also amazing. You could see all of Kyoto. As I was filming the view, I noticed two birds of prey fighting in the air. Wasn’t sure what kind they were, but must have been massive, as they looked big from even the ground.</div>
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I decided to feed the monkeys myself. I mostly gave food to a mum with a tiny baby. The little monkey tried to get some of the apple for itself, but the mum kept evading its grabby hands. It was quite funny. Then I stamped the back of my ticket. I did originally want to get a book for stamps, but in the end I didn’t. Before moving on, I used the toilet and it was very neat and clean. Totally not what I expected in a wooden building.</div>
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There was supposed to be a walk on, but because of the mudslides it was closed off. I had to go back the way I came. From there I walked to my next destination, <b><a href="https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g298564-d1386106-Reviews-Tenryuji_Temple-Kyoto_Kyoto_Prefecture_Kinki.html" target="_blank">Tenryuji Temple</a></b>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx0Gu3UqUjj304-Hko5tQxnApVc9gBFTssGwpPeSgd7KuqUj9XtgsDd60Gk83xa8nldOSdhvHfEiPsNXXOxmsTKhpW4xooAVc3F7SFPTNNnEMAjA0iRsBGq9zIUUauftNrR71rXFJXogc/s1600/image.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="710" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx0Gu3UqUjj304-Hko5tQxnApVc9gBFTssGwpPeSgd7KuqUj9XtgsDd60Gk83xa8nldOSdhvHfEiPsNXXOxmsTKhpW4xooAVc3F7SFPTNNnEMAjA0iRsBGq9zIUUauftNrR71rXFJXogc/s400/image.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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On the way I saw several rickshaws. There was an older guy being pulled by a younger man and it felt so old world. There was also a coffee place that looked very popular as there was a line. I walked along the river, and saw several little boats. Apparently you could rent one. I never really got the point of those things. I suppose they could be romantic. To me, it's a lot of pain for not much gain. </div>
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I walked up a small side street towards the temple and there was what I think was a Buddhist cemetery. It was beautiful with all the statues. </div>
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Then I entered the temple complex. You can get a ticket for just the temple or just the garden or a combo ticket. I got the later. The temple ticket lets you walk around the buildings. You need to take off your shoes first and put them on one of the many shelves. </div>
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I started out in the building called the “hojo”. That is the place where the ceremonies take place. It used to be the Abbot’s quarters. I have never walked on tatami mats before and I discovered my new favourite floor. It was like getting your feet massaged while walking. I first went around the big building. There are a few things to see inside, and you can also see the garden around the building. I went around clockwise and got to the pond, which is beautiful. A lot of people were sitting just gazing <br />
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at it. I wanted to join in. After I took off my shoes I put on some nylon socks I had in my bag. That was a mistake. It was fine walking on the mat, but as I wanted to sit down to look at the pond for a while, I had to step on a part that was wood. I didn’t expect the wood to be lacquered, and it be so slippery. The moment I stepped on it, my foot slipped from under me, and I fell onto two girls! I was so embarrassed! Luckily they were more concerned about my well-being, and they said it was okay. I was fine, though my ankle hurt for a bit. Sitting there, I noticed a very handsome couple in traditional clothing. I named them “the beautiful couple” in my head. I thanked the girls again before getting up, and then went on to take pictures of this massive cloud dragon by Wakasa Butsugai. That’s where you need the panorama feature on your camera. </div>
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As I walked around the pond, I kept taking more pictures of it. It’s called the Sogen Pond Garden, and part of its feature is that the scene is different from each angle. This garden is very ancient, as it was in a book called “Illustrated Guide to the Famous Gardens and Scenic spots in the Capital”, which was a sightseeing guide published in 1799. According to the pictures, the garden had remained virtually unchanged since then. It does make you think of all the people who had enjoyed that scenery through the centuries. Maybe emperors have walked by the same lake, strolling with their wives or concubines, marvelling at the beauty that humans and nature can create working together.<br />
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I also love using the painting setting on my camera for just such occasions, because you can get some really pretty pictures, almost like an actual painter painting them. I can’t draw myself, but I think I’m good at taking pictures.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX6OrFDs_Uztr1ewhHzJS-JaBEL4NtVPxQ9nppoS6SGcn8dquXO9YHJhZvVivOfNji-oG7o8vxerFa3DlzFG-E5D7DiyNxa0_endTE3lTRPaviwuGsLOP4yTGExlEEcAtTX2ziUGy_Ndw/s1600/IMG_20180819_113653.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX6OrFDs_Uztr1ewhHzJS-JaBEL4NtVPxQ9nppoS6SGcn8dquXO9YHJhZvVivOfNji-oG7o8vxerFa3DlzFG-E5D7DiyNxa0_endTE3lTRPaviwuGsLOP4yTGExlEEcAtTX2ziUGy_Ndw/s320/IMG_20180819_113653.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE-45dJUvesVEc8l4pxv-50w0LPmyoNtmJWHlPz6m1Ime-_THshAqqWxR87Top8eRau4KO-QzqlX5pSx2ohhsQW5M6dyj_g3692EVQD7zuSSYYdxe5Bs8eJ8Yrfv8y-LT0XnjLjfP8MNs/s1600/IMG_20180819_114835.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE-45dJUvesVEc8l4pxv-50w0LPmyoNtmJWHlPz6m1Ime-_THshAqqWxR87Top8eRau4KO-QzqlX5pSx2ohhsQW5M6dyj_g3692EVQD7zuSSYYdxe5Bs8eJ8Yrfv8y-LT0XnjLjfP8MNs/s320/IMG_20180819_114835.jpg" width="240" /></a>There was a resting place on the right, and people were lounging around on the mats. It looked really nice, and I promised myself to take a few minutes and sit there myself on the way back. I’m terrible at taking rests while I’m walking around. I continued on in a covered walkway. To the left people could walk in the garden, but to the right you could only look into the garden from the walkway. I especially loved the little stream that made its way to the pond from that area. There was also a large bell in the corridor. It lead to the Tahoden, the Hall of Many Treasures. You can’t go into the hall, just look in. It’s a large hall, with a statue of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_Go-Daigo" target="_blank">Emperor Go-Daigo</a> in the middle. On the left side there are tables, and at the time there was a young woman writing something. I went back to the resting place afterwards, and sat down a bit. I tried to sit properly, though my knees could only tolerate it for a few seconds. I got up in my usual comical way, and was off to get my shoes and have my walk around the garden. </div>
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The garden entrance was to the side and I could view the pond from a different angle. After that I headed in the direction of the Tahoden. The cicadas were very loud and it reminded me of anime that would take place in Japan. I wasn’t sure which one I was remembering, but there were kids in a village, sitting on a porch of an old style Japanese house, hanging out in between risking their lives. I guess that could fit several anime I’ve seen. In one there were watermelons. I felt like I was one of those kids.</div>
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After I passed the Tahoden, there was a pond with frog statues. If you bounced a coin that has a 5 in it off its head, it would bring you good luck. I passed on that, as in high school I could never even get a ball through the hoops. Next was a rest stop, and also a sort of a stool. You could stand on it, and it would give you the perfect height to get a selfie with the bamboos.</div>
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The exit was not far away. There was also a garden, but at that time of the year most of the flowers had already bloomed, so I just exited into the famous <b><a href="https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g14111816-d1497822-Reviews-Bamboo_Forest_Street-Ukyo_Kyoto_Kyoto_Prefecture_Kinki.html" target="_blank">Arashiyama Bamboo Grove</a></b>. The massive bamboos towered over me, covering even the sky with their green trunks. It was like being swallowed up by them. There were a lot of people, but I didn’t feel that the crowd was oppressing. It felt rather like we were all enjoying this phenomenon of nature as a collective. I went to the end of the lane, and then turned back. I was trying to figure out how to get to the bus stop that would take me to my next destination.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Qt_x2kY8bOJpt-c7nCEdFr1XbdS1rKOYo4lorBvk_qXgCOH-u9oAUNZ9N5xxb8KBxeta6iuVASKwKbsgn2EODyzN0phcNj5w1pxJsoeJGRMVqp4cNlZCKTawNvAOLwKWEu5_IvjMYjE/s1600/IMG_20180819_124615.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Qt_x2kY8bOJpt-c7nCEdFr1XbdS1rKOYo4lorBvk_qXgCOH-u9oAUNZ9N5xxb8KBxeta6iuVASKwKbsgn2EODyzN0phcNj5w1pxJsoeJGRMVqp4cNlZCKTawNvAOLwKWEu5_IvjMYjE/s320/IMG_20180819_124615.jpg" width="240" /></a>I walked past the exit I just came out of. Next to it there was a cemetery and then the Nonomiya Shrine. It looked very interesting, but also so full of people, I didn’t go in. I came across some vendors, and then more, until I reached a wider street full of people. There were eateries all around, also some shops selling souvenirs. I was a bit hungry, but it was very hot. I knew that if I eat in such heat, I would get sick. I saw a few vendors that had ice cream, so I got one that had green tea and sakura. It was very delicious and helped me a lot. I still had a problem finding the bus stop, so I just sat down and ate my ice cream. Then I walked to the train station nearby, hoping that the wifi there would help me. It didn’t, but I spotted a 7-11. I went in, got on their wifi, and had an inclination as to where the stop was. I also got a bottle of water. It was then that I realised that the cashier will throw away your trash if you ask them.</div>
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The thing about trash in Japan is that it’s an absolute no-no to just leave it somewhere. However, there are no trash cans. So you can walk around with trash in your hand, and not be able to do anything with them. However, as I realised then, convini cashiers will handle your trash for you.</div>
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I had a look around a shop at the station, and then looked around some more, and finally found the bus stop. In fact, just in time to catch the bus I wanted to take. It was actually late, though I have read that buses in Kyoto are often late because of traffic. Of course, there was no bench to sit on. The heat was getting to me and I felt pretty exhausted. The #11 bus finally came.</div>
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I had to get on in the middle. Now in many parts of the world you get on the bus at the front and pay in advance. In Japan, it’s the other way around. You get on in the middle, and pay when you get off. I’m not exactly sure how paying works, because I tallied up my bus expenses on Google during my prep, and found that if I got a day ticket for the bus, 600 yen, then that would be less than what I was going to spend. Also, such a ticket had the added benefit of not having to worry about change. You’re always supposed to give exact fare.</div>
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I got on the bus, and sat down. There was air conditioning, thankfully! I had a drink from my bottle and sat back to enjoy the ride. It took me around the Northern part of town, away from the tourist area into what looked more residential. Then we began to climb a hill, and it came to a stop at a bus depot. I knew I had to change buses, but I didn't know that it would be the final stop for that bus. </div>
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We all got off, and were herded by a couple of men in uniform to a waiting area. There were more people than seats, but at least there was some. A Chinese family with many adults and some children, mostly girls also waited. I watched the girls play. They tried linking their hands together and lifting one another. I smiled at how cute they were, and remembered playing when I was their age.</div>
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The bus arrived and we all piled on. I still haven't bought my day ticket, but I figured I'd do it when I was getting off at the temple. It was quite a long ride and I watched as people played musical chairs with the priority seats. I couldn't give mine to anyone. My feet and back were already killing me. The bus started to fill up, and after a while it was hard to squeeze anyone new on it. I followed the passage of the bus on my phone. I noticed quite a lot of people got on and off at a shrine called Ryōan-ji. When I saw on the bus’ screen that my stop was next, I pressed the signal button next to my seat. At Kinkaku-ji I wasn't alone leaving the bus and I finally bought my day ticket. I had the amount prepared and in my pocket the whole ride. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxDFyxfSxqKEsUS75lgHa3k-iYBhZcxXIFoPjsyyperC1CqCMTwEH9uyE47s1BWfhu9_Bx7hmO8kTB7gnVCaklZQr_UIQX_4QgVTbF4bZ3PK0BUHxhjH0niNpWIdcSXkHEfvaWVtTu-2E/s1600/DSC03575.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxDFyxfSxqKEsUS75lgHa3k-iYBhZcxXIFoPjsyyperC1CqCMTwEH9uyE47s1BWfhu9_Bx7hmO8kTB7gnVCaklZQr_UIQX_4QgVTbF4bZ3PK0BUHxhjH0niNpWIdcSXkHEfvaWVtTu-2E/s320/DSC03575.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="text-align: justify;"><b><a href="https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g298564-d321400-Reviews-Kinkakuji_Temple-Kyoto_Kyoto_Prefecture_Kinki.html" target="_blank">Kinkaku-ji</a></b> was easy to find from the bus stop. I just followed the sea of people. It was near as well. I walked down a path lined by trees, as the shrine was nestled in a park. The ground was covered not by grass, but moss and dirt, making the scene look different from what I was used to. </span><br />
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I reached the ticket office. There was quite a line, and I had totally forgotten that there was a ticket. It moved quickly, and I was free of 400 yen, cash only. After that I still had a way to go, but soon enough, the well known site of the Golden Pavilion was before me. It was as magnificent in real life as on pictures. The gold gleamed in the sunlight, the reflection in the pond was perfection, the surrounding nature cut to the typical Japanese roundness. It was exactly like the pictures. And of course, I wanted one of my own. </div>
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For that, I had to wait a bit. There were again, people to guide me. They didn't let too many people at once to the viewing point, as that would have resulted in a chaotic shuffling. However, I may have slipped in a bit prematurely. I'm Hungarian. I'm not good with lines. </div>
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I took my pictures, video, selfie, the usual stuff. Then we could walk around the pond and pass more closely to the pavilion. It is a shame that it's not the original one. That was burned down by a deranged monk in the 50s. However, they rebuilt it faithfully to the original. A lot of things in Japan were like that. Most buildings get destroyed periodically by fires, earthquakes, all sorts of natural disasters, or wars. However, they just keep rebuilding. </div>
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After the pavilion there was a small charm shop, and I couldn't resist getting one that was for good luck, with the design according to my birth month. As it turns out, I’m quite the sucker for the charms sold in these places. I took some pictures in the garden, but that in this time of the year wasn’t very impressive. After that there was a little shrine, but I wasn’t exactly sure what was going on there. At the exit there was a toilet, and some eateries. Apparently you could get some tea and traditional sweets. I didn’t really have time, and I was actually glad that Kinkaku-ji proved to be so small and quick.<br />
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I went back outside to the bus stop, and got on the bus going back towards where I came from. Then I remembered something. I got my phone out, and realised that I was supposed to go in the other direction! The #59 went on and then headed South, towards Kiyomizu-dera. I signalled to get off and crossed the road to the bus stop. I was quite mad at myself, as I was doing so well in time, and I’ve wasted many valuable minutes. Eventually the right bus came. I was very glad that I got the day ticket, because at least my forgetfulness only cost me time, not money as well. The bus really took me around the city, from the smaller houses to the bigger ones. I eventually exited the bus on a busy street with modern buildings not too far from the Nishiki Market. I was supposed to change to the #84 bus. I thought it would go from the same stop, but it wasn’t on the board. So I walked up and down, looking for the bus. Even tried to get some locals to help, but they had no idea. Using the station WiFi, I plotted a new course to Kiyomizu-dera. I had to round the corner, cross a bridge, and get on a bus in Gion. I was actually very glad that I took that walk, as I crossed the Shijo Dori, and could take a few pictures of the Kamo River. I had to wait for a while for the bus to arrive, though there were actually several going towards my destination from that stop. It was a short ride, and from then on I just had to follow everyone else going uphill.</div>
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By then, going uphill was torture. It was hot, I was getting tired, and my feet and back were hurting. I soldiered on. After a while, there were more and more shops lining the street. Souvenirs, sweets everywhere. I saw a shop that looked good, and decided to check if I could pay with a card there. I was burning through my cash quicker than expected, but I counted on paying with a card mostly. Instead, most places were cash only. At that shop they said that over 2000 yen I could pay with it, so I got together that much stuff. I saw some cute earrings, that sort of things, and a lovely fridge magnet with a maiko on it. </div>
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I finally reached <b><a href="https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g14124527-d321401-Reviews-Kiyomizu_dera_Temple-Higashiyama_Kyoto_Kyoto_Prefecture_Kinki.html" target="_blank">Kiyomizu-dera</a></b> itself. It had a magnificent gate, and beyond that several buildings. The red declared itself from afar. I dragged myself up the stairs, and wanted to go on, but I started to get very hot, my back was becoming even more painful, and I felt faint. I admitted to myself that I couldn’t go on. I saw some stone benches in the shade, shuffled to one, and collapsed on it. The stone felt wonderful against my back. I got out a cooling towel from my pack, rubbed my forehead, neck, and arms down, then put it on my forehead. I swore to myself that I would rest there until I felt better. I also had to acknowledge that I couldn’t pressure myself so much, to the point of exhaustion every day. I concentrated on the blue sky, the fluffy clouds passing above, the sound of various people coming and going. Then I took out my phone, and decided to read a little. I was almost reluctant to get up, once I finally felt somewhat rested.</div>
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I gathered myself and started to climb the first set of stairs leading to the Sai-mon, the West Gate. As I was climbing, I saw a satchel with the text “Don’t let your dreams be dreams”. This was very poignant on my second day in Japan, as going to Japan was my dream. Therefore, I didn’t let that dream of mine remain a dream. In fact, as I was walking, I knew that this particular dream of mine wouldn’t be fulfilled with just the one trip. As foreign as Japan was to everything that I’ve known in my life so far, it still felt familiar. Maybe it was the decade of watching dramas, but sometimes there are places in the world that just click. Japan was that for me.</div>
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I took my pictures and videos around the two huge buildings, careful not to disturb a guy taking an insane amount of pictures of a girl dressed in kimono. She was beautiful, and I got the sense that she was some sort of model. Maybe they were taking them for a promotion or a portfolio.</div>
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Then I got my ticket for the inner part of the temple and went deeper inside. There was a covered corridor with bells jingling in the wind, playing a symphony of nature. I was mesmerized by their song, and spent a good amount of time trying to find the perfect way to capture it. Afterwards, I saw the place where people were trying to pick up a staff made of metal, that according to legend used to belong to a monk. I went there, and raised it quite easily. The trick was to raise it slowly and with two hands.</div>
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Next came a very famous part of the temple. It’s called the Kiyomizu Stage, and it’s the place where people used to jump off of to have their wishes granted. Since it’s 13 metres high, that wasn’t a very healthy thing to do. It was actually originally built to host all sorts of performances. Sadly, when I visited, it had scaffolding around it, because the roof was being renovated. I checked, and it would take until February, 2020. I was planning on returning to Kyoto anyway, and not next year, so the next time I go, it should be okay. I was a bit saddened by this, but I should be used to it. Often when I visit famous historic sights, there’s scaffolding around them. It got ridiculous in 2009, when in Munich all the churches were under renovation.</div>
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I had to take my shoes off to go to the deeper part of the main hall, but there wasn’t much to see, so I quickly went on. There were some nice buildings, but I really wanted to check out one that I saw from the stage, the Koyasu Pagoda, which was for easing childbirth, but it was also a very neat photo opportunity. The Pagoda was small enough to easily fit into a picture, but pretty enough to be worth taking pictures of. It was a bit of a walk away, but the path was surrounded by trees, the sun was not so harsh through the leaves, so it was very pleasant.</div>
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When I got there, there were some Spanish people taking pictures in front of it. I waited patiently, but once they finished, they started to chat right in front, in the place that provided the best angle to take a picture of the Pagoda. I stared at them with my camera in hand for a while, hoping that they’ll realise they’re in the way. Seriously people, take your pictures, I’m fine with that, but once you’re done, don’t block other people. There was plenty of space to the side to chat. Therefore, once I deemed that I have given them enough time to step aside on their own, I decided to make my presence known. Sadly, with all the Japanese swirling around in my head, I couldn’t remember much Spanish once more. Thus, I only loudly said “por favor”, and raised my camera. They finally noticed me, and realised what I wanted. They left the frame, and I thanked them, able to take my pictures.</div>
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I returned to the main part of the temple, as there was still one more thing to do. The Otowa Waterfall is really what the temple got its name from. “Kiyomizu” means “clear water”, and the water here is said to be especially clean. The waterfall is sacred, and the three streams are said to grant one of three things. Now in some places they say that the three streams don’t hold any specific meanings, but on other sites I read that from the drinker’s viewpoint, the one to the left is good for wisdom, the middle one for longevity and the one to the right is helpful for good matchmaking. I went with this interpretation, and wanted to drink from the longevity and the matchmaking one. There was of course a line, but at least I could observe the people doing it properly, and I followed their example. What you do once you get one of the metal cups with long handles - sanitised by a machine that gives out UV radiation - is you first clean your hands with the first cup of water. Pour it on one and then the other. Next you fill the cup again, pour it into your hand and drink from the hand. Not the cup. Then you do the other waterfall. To do three is said to be greedy, which is never a good thing. Once you drank from the second stream, you hold the cup upright, and let the water pour out that way. Now in most magical traditions, that’s the sacrifice. If you think about it, in most ancient religions you give a piece of your food and drink to the gods as an offering.</div>
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How did the water taste? Cool and refreshing. Very clean, beautiful stream water.</div>
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I felt giddy having done that, as watching all those people go through the same ritual was a bonding experience with humanity itself. It was interesting to see that some people just drank, but others prayed to the deity behind the waterfall as well. There was one older woman who prayed more than others. I always get the sense when people do that that they have a deep pain, and I feel inclined to go to them and try to help. I think that's what disturbs me about praying the most, when it's clearly out of desperation.<br />
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I was getting very hungry, and decided to leave the temple. The sun was going down in earnest, and I still had a shrine to go. I originally planned to walk to my final destination, but I didn't have time. As I descended the hill on top of which Kiyomizu-dera stood, I saw that all the shops were closing. I wondered if I could grab a bite of something from somewhere. I saw one of those mochi, green tea ice cream places, and ended up getting one. I wasn't that keen on the green tea ice cream, it was a bit bitter for me. I did love the red bean paste though. It's what they traditionally use for sweetening things instead of sugar, and that is something that I'd love to take home. I'm not sure about calories though. </div>
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I took my time resting and eating at a kind of small square with lots of vending machines. I wasn't feeling well again. The heat and lack of food were probably getting to me, and the busy schedule was harder to keep up with under such conditions. However, I reminded myself of my favourite saying, “mind over matter”, and walked to the bus stop at the bottom of the hill. There I could use the WiFi to check how to get to Fushimi Inari Taisha. I worked it out and the first bus came right away. Then I needed to walk a bit and find a metro / train, go a stop, and I would be there. On the way, I found a convini and bought a water. I did see lots of vending machines, but everything is more expensive in them, and being such a scrooge, I'd rather get them in stores. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAlBqCob35K8iP2d-KBz82iY07P0Exn-LOg621XzXQ4WEScGg9tbdSAl3SM30fMVvGVgWx74WDHC-ZV_sVKUdjLP6DCCDhVdr1o1UKLvaXW_DlQXqoJ9Rwps056957XPab_Q6xdo0DPyQ/s1600/IMG_20180819_193001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAlBqCob35K8iP2d-KBz82iY07P0Exn-LOg621XzXQ4WEScGg9tbdSAl3SM30fMVvGVgWx74WDHC-ZV_sVKUdjLP6DCCDhVdr1o1UKLvaXW_DlQXqoJ9Rwps056957XPab_Q6xdo0DPyQ/s320/IMG_20180819_193001.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
I went underground, and could quickly buy the ticket. I got on the first train that arrived. As I got on, I noticed that the train was a lot nicer than the one I came with. Then the announcer said it was an express. I couldn't find a list of stops right away, so I accessed the WiFi and set Google maps to show what my location was. I had already passed the stop for the shrine. I was thinking of what to do. The train was going to Osaka. I could get off and take a train back, or stay on the express and call it a day. I decided on the later. It was getting dark, and my body was calling out for rest. I found a seat, settled down and on the strong WiFi called my mum. Fushimi Inari Taisha would just have to wait until my next visit. </div>
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I wondered what to have for dinner. Wasn't feeling like anything big, and frankly, I've eaten so much Asian food, my stomach was starting to rebel and ask for something more familiar. Fries. If you know me, you know that fried potatoes is the dish I can eat any day, every day. So I looked up McDs in my way. I groaned at myself for even thinking about it, but I have heard that it was different here, so I justified it by that.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-eiGNnJ1dAhWtziz2dPOWAVRX_vIWJvfq-CJW0jZQzAek-v60UsLMJtljuHs0Ezh6w9_7PY9IQacbrEUi2oBlp6BFJbllzmPgXpP08eeiCML-y-A3xCuT5YLQKKZo5c5bCr_dTHp5pgg/s1600/00207.MTS" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-eiGNnJ1dAhWtziz2dPOWAVRX_vIWJvfq-CJW0jZQzAek-v60UsLMJtljuHs0Ezh6w9_7PY9IQacbrEUi2oBlp6BFJbllzmPgXpP08eeiCML-y-A3xCuT5YLQKKZo5c5bCr_dTHp5pgg/s320/00207.MTS" width="320" /></a></div>
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I got off the train and just decided to take the first exit upstairs. It can be difficult to find your way around underground, especially because the GPS can’t find you. When I went outside, I found myself by the river, with city lights and a bridge lit up, a stream of water gushing out, sparkling with yellow light. I enjoyed the sight, and then went on to find the McD. On the way I stopped to get drinks at a shop, and then got to the McD. This type of open-air counters we only have in malls, but they seemed to be common in Japan. They had a sale for fries and chicken nuggets, so I got two deals. I took them to go, and hurried to the next metro station. Fries are no good nuked.</div>
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I got off at a station I hadn’t been to before, which was also near my apartment. I walked down a different street than before, and found that the houses around there were very interesting. They all had beautiful traditional gates, because in fact, they were all small Buddhist temples! In the darkness I didn’t bother taking pictures, but I was planning on taking some during the day, on my way to Universal Studios.</div>
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I ate my food at home. It really was different. I was sure it was the oil, because I’m very familiar with the taste of the regular sunflower oil, and that wasn’t it. It was nice, though strange, and my stomach could finally feel comfortable. I had a great sleep afterwards.</div>
Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374765705460506021noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798423611064486541.post-8480749641460982712018-08-18T23:00:00.000+02:002018-09-29T01:24:58.426+02:00Japan - Osaka<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGn3djsBAjZcDhUZ8bMlhM-FvWwDZbBMY8xrSa45qJ9m5VwwOFapG1lFFYGi7poydziWth1mQu4e2rhIKm_UFPMNTetk2unU4u5pDfP9TIExBv31JaNuODQYAUGfaizzdKA5K51BVnWdI/s1600/DSC03224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGn3djsBAjZcDhUZ8bMlhM-FvWwDZbBMY8xrSa45qJ9m5VwwOFapG1lFFYGi7poydziWth1mQu4e2rhIKm_UFPMNTetk2unU4u5pDfP9TIExBv31JaNuODQYAUGfaizzdKA5K51BVnWdI/s400/DSC03224.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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My first day in Osaka started early. I was so excited to be in Japan, that I woke before my alarm. I was very hungry, but the day before I was too tired to go to a shop. So I decided to get something on the way. I know Japanese usually don't eat on the streets, unlike Turks who regard every green space as picnic grounds, but I also know that Japanese forgive foreigners. </div>
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Not too far and on my way I dropped into a 7-11. Now what I didn't see on any video while I prepped for my trip was that most products only have Japanese writing on them. In Hungary as most of our products are made for an international market, you'll see everything on them in 6 languages. In Japan in English you sometimes see only the product promotion. What it is you have to guess based on pictures. For example, there were different kinds of coffees. I'm lactose intolerant, so knowing if there's milk in it is important. You see that the cans all have coffee, but the difference, not a clue. I picked one that looked good, and same went with the water. Food was harder though, as I'm allergic to nuts and can't have mushrooms. The rice balls had English on them, so I picked up a salmon one. I also spotted a banana flavoured chocolate. I paid and was on my way. I drank the coffee right away, but had to walk for ages to find somewhere to throw it out. </div>
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The night before I downloaded an offline Osaka map. It turned out to be useless, as for the question where I am, it had no idea. I ended up trying to work out on my saved pdf maps where Namba station was. I knew they had a tourist information center there, and I had a couple of questions. I found it surprisingly easily, and on the way found out that even at 9am pachinko parlours had lines in front of them. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUNa357PFY8HTIPlTPTp8SG5bSnnoMxnJJgnEjzThYMonSLUgaGVJxFOpIvGM-nl1-_314kZVtlV7729Lf-wszmcXAX4oagLO3dfGg0CObau-MBc8mj7fiI1_xxri__fOUY7-cZvbjTY4/s1600/IMG_20180818_092753.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUNa357PFY8HTIPlTPTp8SG5bSnnoMxnJJgnEjzThYMonSLUgaGVJxFOpIvGM-nl1-_314kZVtlV7729Lf-wszmcXAX4oagLO3dfGg0CObau-MBc8mj7fiI1_xxri__fOUY7-cZvbjTY4/s320/IMG_20180818_092753.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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At the center I met this lovely young lady, who explained everything. I showed her my detailed itinerary, and she told me that the Osaka Amazing Pass would be perfect. I could ride the metro as much as I wanted, get into Osaka castle and even up to the observation tower at the Umeda Sky Building as long as I got there before 6pm. She also got me on the free WiFi and even told me how to get the day bus pass in Kyoto. I gave her one of my cards. So if you're reading this, thanks for everything! </div>
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On the WiFi, I looked up how to get to the castle. I was very glad for the pass as I didn't have to negotiate the ticket counters. I also figured out that as long as I didn't get out of Google maps, it would still tell me where I was, in spite of not having saved the map itself offline. Negotiating the metro wasn't very hard, but I've lived in a city with a metro. </div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/oObnWDy9lWk/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oObnWDy9lWk?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAhPn8_FfHwcC-tL8NIUOBN_8C-QU97uEt2MPS-m3WsY37R7AqO0R84Q9yNKaBUNvYo6hpF716tfeHV2-TVx9mdH7FzKUP8NCm_t2NSSNp0kYU69tUDb9QUGavvswX8OOE8W3YI_ZwXn8/s1600/DSC03229.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAhPn8_FfHwcC-tL8NIUOBN_8C-QU97uEt2MPS-m3WsY37R7AqO0R84Q9yNKaBUNvYo6hpF716tfeHV2-TVx9mdH7FzKUP8NCm_t2NSSNp0kYU69tUDb9QUGavvswX8OOE8W3YI_ZwXn8/s320/DSC03229.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I found <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com.my/Attraction_Review-g298566-d320970-Reviews-Osaka_Castle-Osaka_Osaka_Prefecture_Kinki.html" target="_blank">Osaka Castle</a> easily. There is a park surrounding it, which is very clean. There were many people exercising in it. I passed a small Lawson’s and some people were eating around it. I went in the first gate to the inner moat. I watched the small boats pass while I ate my riceball. An older man stood next to me and took glances at me. Maybe he was bothered by me eating there, but I didn’t care much. Or he was just staring at the blonde girl with big boobs. You never know. Then I went into the castle. The climb up was steep in the heat. At the entrance I didn't have to wait, as I didn't need to buy a ticket. Going up to the structure itself, they had placed sprayers to freshen up the air and spray everyone. It was so nice. </div>
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At the door into the castle I had the option of going up the stairs or the elevator. At first I wanted to take the elevator, but the line was long. At the stairs, they recommended that you first go up and then view each level on your way down. Most people did what I did, and stopped on the way up. Going up is harder than down. I only really viewed the two air-conditioned artifact levels. They had some interesting things like screens, armour, other pieces, but also scrolls that really didn’t mean much. I guess if I could read what was on them, or maybe do some sort of linguistic comparison to present language, then I wouldn’t have just glanced at them.</div>
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There were more levels with detailed dioramas, but I’m not a fan and I was behind in time, so I skipped those. On the top I made up for not being able to take pictures of the artefacts. I took several of the panorama, and even videos of every side. It was pretty crowded, but people behaved respectfully towards each other, and we all managed to get what we wanted. It reminded me of the Galata Tower in Turkey, where there was a lot of pushing and shoving. </div>
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I quickly went down and tried to find my way to the metro. It was hard, because silly me closed the map app, and I couldn't find WiFi. Through the help of maps placed around, I managed to get to it, and the cool station was a welcomed rest. They also have WiFi. However, getting there took longer than I expected and I was falling very behind on my schedule.</div>
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I was trying to get to the shinto shrine to the South, but I couldn't find the connecting line once I got off the purple metro line. There was nothing underground, so I went up thinking that maybe it was another station. I found a big shopping centre there, which really didn’t help matters. I saw a Lawson's, and wanted to get a water and get on their WiFi. There, I noticed that the Buddhist temple, Shitennō-ji, I wanted to see was not very far, therefore, I headed in that direction. I was also right next to a Abeno Harukas, Japan’s tallest building, which has an observation deck too. I thought of going up, but it would take a lot of time, and I originally didn’t plan on going up there, because the area itself wasn’t that interesting. The other building I wanted to go onto was much closer to the sea and the main river in Osaka.</div>
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On the way to <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com.my/Attraction_Review-g14127652-d321316-Reviews-Shitennoji_Temple-Tennoji_Osaka_Osaka_Prefecture_Kinki.html" target="_blank">Shitennō-ji</a> I could observe the streets. There were a lot of Christian crosses on buildings oddly enough. </div>
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I finally reached it, and I went inside my first Buddhist temple. I wanted to visit it mainly because it was one of Japan’s oldest temples. It was originally constructed in the 6th century, but of course as it goes in Japan, burned down a couple of times since then. However, they always reconstructed it by the original design.</div>
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At the entrance, there were two scary statues. They are called Niō, and they are supposed to be the protectors of Buddhist temples. I couldn't go into the main area there, but to the side. There was a ticket, but with the Amazing Pass, it was included. There are three buildings there. I first went into the one in the middle. Initially, I wasn't sure that I could, because the monk was performing a ceremony. However, an attendant signalled that I could. Sadly, no pictures. The atmosphere was special with the chanting in the background, the large Buddha in the middle, the pictures on the wall and the incense in the air. I so wanted to take a picture, do a video, something. I wanted to preserve the memory of the moment. Once I was outside I felt so elated. I was high with the feeling of such an authentic experience on my first day. </div>
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I went into the tall structure, but it was mostly just stairs up that you do barefoot, so I skipped that. The third building was a long one in the back. It could have been easily missed, as there was some construction going on in front of it. I'm guessing preparations for some sort of festival. Inside there were two statues. One sitting Buddha and one standing. They were so beautiful, my hand was itching to capture all that beauty on a photo. I went outside with regret and then left the inner grounds. They were extensive and full of interesting statues, buildings, and worship places. My ticket was also good for a garden, and I looked for it, but couldn't find it. So instead I took photos of the rest of the grounds. There was a big temple that I thought of going in, but a sign outside said that tourists shouldn't go in, so I didn't. Instead, I took pictures of the cute turtles swimming around in the pond in front of it.</div>
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I left, as it was really time for me to get to the shinto shrine I've been meaning to visit. On the way it was incredibly hot. I was really starting to not feel very well. The sun was in my back, and there was very little shade. I was holding on just thinking that I would be somewhere with an air conditioner soon. I reached a metro station finally, and went down. I put my card through, and tried to see which way I need to go. However, the signs didn't match what I had on my phone, and the colour of the line was wrong as well. Thus, I came to the sad conclusion that this was the wrong line. However, where was the correct one then? I looked around, but didn't see any indication of another line anywhere. So I went back up into the heat. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiDQqdg0lg-doAV959i7IaWWEg0e_LkcDeMSrvMfwMLDwNMX7PzkGj3glEhw2zVMkHMDYd6AEBsXspAzVCqSoNRLpFZUmH8rmvBVmUaVAis24CYwx0RNq2FVoQIC_r_8FkUlXybvslbG4/s1600/IMG_20180818_161230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiDQqdg0lg-doAV959i7IaWWEg0e_LkcDeMSrvMfwMLDwNMX7PzkGj3glEhw2zVMkHMDYd6AEBsXspAzVCqSoNRLpFZUmH8rmvBVmUaVAis24CYwx0RNq2FVoQIC_r_8FkUlXybvslbG4/s320/IMG_20180818_161230.jpg" width="320" /></a>I stood on the corner, not making sense of where I was or where I was heading. In my desperation, I spotted a small map to the side, and on it the line I was looking for. It said to go to the other side of the road and round the corner. I followed it, and that was when I realised my error! I had been looking for a metro line, when it was actually an urban train! I got on, made sure that I got on the right vehicle, and sat down. The train also had AC luckily, and I could finally feel myself cooling down physically and emotionally. </div>
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It took a while for the train to actually start, and then it kept heading South among residential houses that only had a few storeys. I paid attention to the sign that had the stops, and after a long ride it was finally time to get off. I presented my Osaka pass, but I was informed that that wasn't good for it. I was sure that the girl said it was, but apparently she was wrong, or I misunderstood. </div>
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The train stopped right at the <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com.my/Attraction_Review-g298566-d320984-Reviews-Sumiyoshi_Taisha_Shrine-Osaka_Osaka_Prefecture_Kinki.html" target="_blank">Sumiyoshi Taisha</a>, so I went in. I was getting a bit hungry and my water was running out, but I still soldiered on. I liked the look of the place right away. There were trees everywhere, some with the ribbons around them that I think means that they are sacred. There was the washing station, and the famous bridge that I came to see, the Sorihashi bridge. It was very pretty with the brightly painted railing. However, climbing it was a bit steep. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglrXOxGdCf-XLQdDQhdNOn7MdRjkjK7h2ffMBZkThEzjgpa1kpNxaFkoQ2s27WIvOqUH3Ohi_TAvV32EOckRVLqI-P_MNul8t9Zb5yTdY0CmCcsJTAUSK8fTqTrDKSTB9OoI6J00HAcj4/s1600/IMG_20180818_154115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglrXOxGdCf-XLQdDQhdNOn7MdRjkjK7h2ffMBZkThEzjgpa1kpNxaFkoQ2s27WIvOqUH3Ohi_TAvV32EOckRVLqI-P_MNul8t9Zb5yTdY0CmCcsJTAUSK8fTqTrDKSTB9OoI6J00HAcj4/s320/IMG_20180818_154115.jpg" width="320" /></a>Over the bridge I entered the main part of the shrine. It was my first shinto shrine, and I liked it already. They had a stand for small guides, and there were plenty in English. Just what I needed! I checked out the talisman stand, and I got a few things. Cash only. Interestingly, this part of the shrine wasn't that interesting, but as I headed towards the back, there were more things to see. A lovely lake, a groove with flags that had its own atmosphere. There was also a shrine for Maneki Neko cats, the Nankun-sha, where you could get those cat statues that had one hand raised. You could get one of each, but I only got one with the left hand raised, which means the cat invites people and prosperity. The right hand raised means money and success in business. As I’m not much of a business person, I’d rather go for people. If you’re reading this, it’s working! Plus the place had AC. </div>
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I visited the toilet, which frankly, could have been cleaner. Then I wondered around the shrine some more. I was reluctant to leave it, but I had to get to the Umeda Sky Building on time, because my Osaka pass only provided free entry in the summer until 6pm. I went to the train going back, and something came right away. I thought there was just one line going here, but as the last stop of the train was elsewhere as the one I came with, apparently not. However, it turned out great. That was actually the train I was looking for when I gave up and headed to the Buddhist shrine. Of course I never found it, as I was looking for something underground, and this was in a sort of a layer of the complicated walkways surrounding Abeno Harukas, a rather new skyscraper that also had a viewing station upstairs. </div>
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Since I was right there, I went back to the Lawson's I got my water previously, and also went on the WiFi for instructions on how to get to Umeda. I wanted to pay with a card as convini were apparently one of the few places I could pay with it, but didn't just want to get a water. So I remembered that there used to be these refreshing towels. I looked around and found that they sold those. They turned out to be a lifesaver, as the cool cloths with the peppermint coating brought me relief on many hot days. </div>
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I found the red line I had to take, and quickly got to the metro. I thought I was very much on time. I got off at the right stop, but there were no signs for the Umeda. There were some maps, but as good as I am at reading them, they never seemed to really tell me where to get there. As it turned out, the Umeda station is a labyrinth of malls, a train station, metro station and underground shops. It also had a ground level walkway and a higher walkway. I was running about, trying to figure it all out. After a while I realised that I needed to get on the other side of the train station. I entered it on the upper floor and found an escalator that went up even more. Then I managed to go over the tracks. There they finally had signs for the <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com.my/Attraction_Review-g298566-d10240005-Reviews-Umeda_Sky_Building-Osaka_Osaka_Prefecture_Kinki.html" target="_blank">Umeda Sky Building</a>. Which was still a bit away, and the clocks was relentlessly ticking towards 6pm. I made the rest of the way running, which was quite a feat, as by then my sole was in pain from all the walking. However, I couldn’t resist taking a quick picture of a great big green bear next to the Great Front Osaka mall. I reached the line for the elevator with 20 minutes to go, but the line was very long. I anxiously watched as people casually walked out of the elevator and more shuffled in under the guidance of a small young woman. As the doors of the elevator closed, she would bow before it. Same as the elevator was coming down, she would be ready with a bow before it to greet the okusama, and gracefully guide them towards the exit. This small ritual held an air of calm and beauty about it. </div>
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I barely got onto the last elevator before 6pm. I thought my trial was over, but when the elevator doors opened, I came face to face with a long escalator. With a few minutes to go, I sprinted up, cursing my bad knees that protested against the action. At the end I was greeted by another lovely lady, to whom I showed my pass, and she waved me over to the guy who beeped me in. I nearly collapsed with exhaustion as the clock struck 6. </div>
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I had to go up on another escalator, but this time I waited it out as it took me to the first observation floor. There I found a spacious room with windows, and I could sit down in front of one to have a brief rest. Of course, I couldn’t stay put for long, so I started to explore the floor. It smelled very nice as there was a café as well. Also, there was a sort of theater, but I didn’t go check it out, as I was getting very hungry, and I knew exactly where and what I wanted to eat.</div>
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To go up to the open-air observation deck, you could take the stairs or the elevator. As I felt like I would die on stairs, I took the elevator. It was a bit of a wait, but I could do it. Upstairs, the panorama was wonderful. You could see the river, the sea, the sprawling city below you. The sun was just setting behind the hills, bathing the world in orange. There were a lot of people, but with patience I could get the pictures I wanted. Once I was done, I hurried down as I still wanted some pictures of the building itself during the day.</div>
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On my way down I quickly checked out the gift store, but didn’t get anything. Down was a lot faster than up, I didn’t even have to wait for the elevator. I got the pictures I wanted, and then went back in. I’ve heard that downstairs the foodcourt of the building was made out like an old street. It was very cool. I looked for the famous okonomiyaki place, <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g298566-d1700891-Reviews-Kiji_Umeda_Sky_Bldg-Osaka_Osaka_Prefecture_Kinki.html" target="_blank">Okonomiyaki Kiji</a>, and it was very easy to find, as it had a line in front of it. As I waited, a guy came out and said that the wait would be an hour. I thought of going away, but I figured other places could also have a wait, and this place was on my list of things I definitely wanted to do. So I stayed.</div>
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The line outside continued inside, but sitting down. That was such a relief as my legs were ready to collapse under me. That was also a lot more fun as I amused myself with looking at the people, the guys making the food at the counter, just generally watching Japanese people interacting. In a way that was the best bit, as these are people I’ve been watching on TV for a decade, and now they were in front of me. Kind of like seeing your favourite actors, except these were real people. </div>
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The restaurant itself was tiny. It had a kind of dirty, old look, which I found quaint. It had pictures all over the wall. The tables all had flat tops in the middle, and they usually finished the food off there. That was also where people cut the food apart, then passed the bits about. The groups would order multiple flavours, and take small bits of each. I saw people drinking beer, and I wanted one. There was also counter seating in front of the part that had the main cooking action going. It was interesting to note that they beat the eggs with some water.</div>
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I was hoping for a seat at the counter, and I was sure I’d get it, as it was the logical seating for a lone traveller. The tables were mostly for four or more people, and the counter was generally occupied by couples. I was finally seeing an end to my wait, when I was handed a menü. In Japanese, no pictures. I stared at it, trying to at least make out the hiragana, but I realised that even if I could read that, I wouldn’t know what it was saying, as the majority of my knowledge came from dramas. Unfortunately, none of them were about okonomiyaki. There was one that heavily featured tonkatsu though. Japanese drama makers, I see a gap!</div>
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So I handed the menü back, saying that I couldn’t read Japanese. I have to note here that besides a guy sitting with a group of Japanese, I was the only non-Japanese person in the room. So the waiter / cook asked me what I liked, and I told him that I’ll eat anything as long as it doesn’t have mushrooms or nuts. But I knew okonomiyaki doesn’t have nuts inherently, so I was just concerned about mushrooms. They are a concern as they give me extremely painful stomach cramps. He advised me that the most traditional form was the pork one, so I got that and a beer. He asked if Japanese beer was okay, and sure it was! I like to keep my alcohol local.</div>
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I was seated at the counter, so bonus! They had an older Japanese guy sit next to me, because he was alone too. A neat thing about the seating was that you could raise up the seat, and underneath there was storage for your bag. The seating was also raised a bit, but they had raised foot stalls too. As they took my order beforehand, I was served my beer right away, and my okonomiyaki was already cooking. The main guy, who seemed like quite the character, was taking a break at the time, so I was just looking at the guys. A server girl also brought me water. </div>
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I got pushed my food in front of me, and was told it was ready. So I started to cut it up with the little thing, and eating it with the chopsticks. Of course, it was piping hot, so I would cut it up into little pieces to cool. I drank my beer, which was good. The okonomiyaki tasted wonderful. Not too spicy, the pasta a bit crunchy with delicious bacon strips inside. I was so hungry! But halfway through, I was starting to feel full. I haven’t eaten much in the past two days, and my stomach was the size of a pea. So I ate slowly, and took some breaks. It was so delicious, I was determined to finish my first proper meal in Japan.</div>
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As I was eating the head man came back. We chatted a little bit, he didn’t speak much English. He gave me this cool paper and wrote Forrest Gump on it. I’m not exactly sure why, but I have seen in some dramas that there was something in Japan with that character. Then he ended up also giving me a little Doraemon figurine. He said they normally give them to kids, but he felt like he needed to give one to me as well. I love cute things, so he was spot on! It’s right next to me as I write this. </div>
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While I was finishing the last of it, I heard some English behind me, and some other foreigners have arrived to the start of the waiting line. They were talking about what flavours to get, so I just tossed in that the bacon one was delicious. I finally managed to finish it. I was very full, and I got up to pay. Cash only, of course. I gave them one of my social media name cards. I had them made so that when I travel, if people ask me about where they can see my travel stuff, I can just give it to them. Very convenient, and I found a great site online that makes them pretty cheap.</div>
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I said my goodbyes, and got turned around a bit on the way out. I wanted to go to Dotonbori from there, and then back to the apartment. I was ready to turn in as the next day I was planning on an early start to Kyoto. As I passed the train station, next to it was a Hawaiian festival. I just got the tail end of the last performers, and managed to get them on video.</div>
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As I was heading towards the station, I noticed a sign for a department store that had tax free shopping for foreigners. It was the Yodobashi Camera Multimedia Umeda. They had a list of the products available at the store by the door, and I decided to have a look. There were several things I wanted to buy. Most importantly, a new power bank. My old one didn’t really charge my phone. It managed to power it for a while, but as I noticed the day before, the charge never went up. With all the use I was putting my equipment through, both my phone and my camera were very low on power. I knew that in Japan I needed a good, strong power bank to keep up with the long days I was doing. Especially as I used my phone to find my way around. It didn’t always work, but was better than nothing.</div>
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As the department store had an extensive electronics department, I decided to check them out. I went inside, and it was massive. I started to look for power banks, but it looked like I could be there forever! So I started to ask the shopkeepers. Most people just looked at me funny, and couldn’t understand what I was looking for. I understood their confusion when I talked to the third person. As Japanese doesn’t have a clear “r” sound, and has problems with to many consonants next to each other, their pronunciation of the words is very different. As I was saying it the correct way, which apparently they’ve never heard, they had no idea what I was on about. The third person used his phone, and when he saw it written down, he realised what I was looking for. That was harder than I’d thought. He managed to direct me to the correct shelf.</div>
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There some power banks were on the shelf, others had cards. I assumed they were in some storage. After looking through my options, I selected one that I liked the look of. It had enough power for my devices and the right cables. So I took a card and went to the cashier with it. The first one available just stared at me, and didn’t speak English. She went off to find someone who did. He was from another department, but I finally had someone I could talk to. He got me the power bank, we made sure the cables were correct, it worked with my phone and my camera, and he confirmed that I wanted the red colour. I like having non-black devices as my bags usually have black bottoms. He even gave me a discount for paying with a card! I was very happy with it and sure that my new little friend would keep me powered up. Oh, he even let me know where the CD department was.</div>
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I wanted to go to the CDs, as one of my favourite Japanese groups, Perfume, just had a new album out. What better souvenir than an actual Japanese CD! The CD department was on the same floor as the toys, so of course I had to look at the toys too. They had so many Gundam! That was so cool. I found the CDs, and started to look through. I couldn’t find it anywhere in the JPOP section! Then I started to think that maybe they kept the new releases in a different section. So I looked around, and that’s when I spotted it! It was quite a big display, I felt silly for missing it. The CD even have a DVD with it. There was also a Blu-Ray edition. I picked the CD up and went to the cashier. He looked at me and pointed out that it was the DVD version, and I told him that’s what I wanted. Maybe it was weird for him that I don’t have a Blu-Ray player.</div>
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On the list of departments, I also noticed that the top two floors has shops. I wanted to check out a Daisho for souvenirs, so I went there to see what I could get. I got some chopsticks, and even a few things for my hair. After that I went up more to the Uniqlo. I saw a video on their great bras and cooling tops. I have been to one in Malaysia, but I had the feeling that I could get things cheaper in Japan as they were a Japanese brand. I didn’t have much space in my suitcase, as I was travelling with a rather small one. Still, I looked around and picked up a few bras, they were on sale, a top with a built-in bra, and two skirts. I found a great skirt that was longer for business. I had to try them on, of course, as I knew sizing in Japan would be very different. I’m so glad I did! Now in Europe, most fitting rooms are filthy. Sometimes there’s so much hair and lint on the floor, I get very grossed out. In this shop I was lead to a room by an attendant. When he opened the door, I saw that it was carpeted! I looked at him and asked “shoes off?” He nodded, and I took my sandals off. It felt so great after all the walking I’ve been doing! At first I couldn’t stop giggling at the clean fitting room, and then I tried everything on, got my sizes (XL for bras and tops, L for skirts). I was still browsing, when I was advised that they were closing, as it was 10pm! They lead me to the tax free counter. The amount needed to be over 5000 yen, and I hit that. I told them that in the past few hours I’ve spent quite the amount, and we laughed a bit at my shopping so much on my first day in Japan.</div>
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I quickly tried to leave the department store. On my way down on the escalators, I noticed a girl wearing a really cool outfit. She was in all black. A simple top, but what I really found interesting was that she wore black leggings, and a tulle skirt on top of it. On other people it probably wouldn’t have looked so good, but she pulled it off perfectly. I was thinking about asking her for a picture, but I chickened out.</div>
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Leaving wasn’t as easy as one would think. It took me and a few other people a while to find the exit in the huge store. Once outside, I quite easily found the metro and rode to Namba station. My camera and my phone were both nearing the end of their batteries, so I hoped that I could still squeeze out enough for Dotonbori, which is quite the spectacle at night. On my way to Dotonbori I passed a street performer, and did a video of the area of Namba station at night. On the way I tried to find a famous cheesecake place, and I did, but of course it was closed.</div>
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Dotonbori is famous for all the lights. It gets its name from the canal that passes through it, as “bori” means canal. A favourite story of mine from Japanese history is actually connected to Dotonbori. The canal you can see there used to be a tiny river, and an entrepreneur, Yasui Dōton started to expand it at the start of the 17th century, so that they can better use it for transport. Sadly, he died in the Siege of Osaka, but his cousin finished it. The new lord of the castle could name it anything. You see, Dōton was on the other side during the war, the losing side. However, the lord still decided to name it after him, and thus it became Dotonbori. The man still honoured someone who had been his enemy by naming the creation of his idea after him. I think that was such a magnanimous thing to do, and kind of very Japanese.</div>
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However, why the lights? Well, this part of the town in the 17th century was the designated entertainment area. Theaters were established, which of course brought restaurants, then tourists, shops. The restaurants had to stand out somehow, and the displays grew, then you got electricity, and I think lights to the Japanese are like catnip to cats; they can never get enough of them. </div>
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I walked to Ebisu bridge, which is a historic bridge and a favourite meeting place. There was a display there, as Osaka is doing a very strong campaign to host the World Expo in 2025. The view of the Tombori River Walk is very cool from the bridge. The Gilco Running Man sign has been there since the 30s, and now it seems to have been updated to the guy actually running through Japan. Very cool.</div>
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I managed some selfies with the sign, and my phone died. My camera still had some juice, so I asked a Spanish couple to take a few more pictures of me. I would have asked them in Spanish, but as my head was filled with English and Japanese, I couldn’t manage a word. They spoke English well though. I did hear a lot of Spanish all day though.</div>
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Afterwards I walked through the main Dotonbori street, and took pictures of the genius signs on the street. Upon reaching the end of it, I realised I wasn’t completely sure how to get back to the apartment. My back started to hurt pretty bad, so I sat down on a bench I found, and unpacked the power bank. I hoped that it had some charge in it, as these things sometimes do. I plugged it in, and it was at 40%! I was so relieved! I could turn on my phone, and use the Osaka free wifi to find where I was and how to get back. I actually was correct in my assumption of how to do it, but it was much better to know for sure, as I exhausted myself by then.</div>
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On my way back, I dropped into the 7-11 for some breakfast for morning and a bottle of small water for the next day, a bigger bottle for use at home. I definitely didn’t need to be lulled to sleep.</div>
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Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374765705460506021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798423611064486541.post-39086627262163856442018-08-11T19:00:00.000+02:002018-09-02T11:07:34.407+02:00Malaysia - Penang - The streets of Georgetown<div style="text-align: justify;">
It was a Saturday, so my cousin could also come with us. Therefore, we headed out to walk around Georgetown a bit. We found a parking spot on a lot for 5 MYR.</div>
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Georgetown is an interesting mixture of all the various peoples that have settled down on the Island. There’s an Indian part, and a Chinese part. Add to that the English influence, and you get an architecture that’s all over the place. Of course, there are the famous wall drawings. Some in better, some in worse conditions. The most famous one is the kids on a bicycle. </div>
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I didn’t want to be in the picture with the drawing, I just wanted it to be the art. However, there were so many people wanting to take a picture with it, it was very hard. So I turned to the next people in line after waiting for a while, and asked them to give me a few seconds to just snap the damned picture already. Seriously, the amount of times I had to wait for people to just get out of my frame, I could probably add a year to my life.</div>
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We walked on, and there were many people selling souvenirs with the artwork on them. I’m not a huge souvenir person, so I avoided them. I also walked down a small side street that had a lot of art on it. At the end I saw this huge, very graphic one with two black people on it. I kind of liked that the most, because while the others were whimsical, this felt like it made an impact.</div>
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There was also art that could look like wall art standing in front of it, but was actually a kind of metal wire picture stood in front of the wall. I king of liked those as well, as they were very detailed.</div>
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We made a circle around the town, with me taking random pictures of things. The town itself is expectedly dirty and chaotic, but I’m not bothered by that. If I was, I wouldn’t go to most places. </div>
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We passed through a place called the <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com.my/Restaurant_Review-g298303-d3335891-Reviews-China_House-George_Town_Penang_Island_Penang.html" target="_blank">China House</a>, which had various rooms packed one after the other. I took several pictures. Probably the garden area was my favourite, but we didn’t stop there. </div>
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We had a light lunch at <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com.my/Restaurant_Review-g298303-d10037965-Reviews-Gudang_Cafe-George_Town_Penang_Island_Penang.html" target="_blank">Gudang Café</a>. The inside is a lot like the pubs in Budapest where they don’t refurb the building much. It was nice, and they had a big communal table. I had a chicken dish. It was okay, though not terribly good. The chicken was thigh, and seemed like the not so good bits were left in. The toilet, however, was clean and nice.</div>
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We went home afterwards. It was a rather short walk, but you can’t really do much with a small kid, so it was good for that. In the end I really didn’t miss not seeing more of it, as I felt like I would have needed to use an extra amount of hand sanitiser.</div>
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Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374765705460506021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798423611064486541.post-86995607904449460372018-08-10T23:53:00.000+02:002018-09-01T00:30:06.042+02:00Malaysia - Penang - Market and Tropical Spice Garden<div style="text-align: justify;">
On this day first we went shopping to a smaller market, Market & Food Complex Tanjung Bungah. We got various fruits and vegetables. I wanted to try dragon fruit, and jackfruit, so we got some of those. The market didn’t look very clean, but it was about what I expected. Ours didn’t used to look any better, but there was a major refurb some time ago. I took lots of pictures, even of some things that I had no idea about, but wanted to do a Google image search on. Of course, you also had your standard things, like apples, onions, garlic, peppers, chicken, but some things that I have definitely never seen at home, like small sharks. Or at least, I think they were sharks.</div>
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We also went to a shop nearby that sold things for baking. My cousin’s wife bakes a lot of bread, and she said that the regular flour she could buy in shops wasn’t very good for them. She baked her bread from Japanese white flour. Funnily, when we got to check out, the guy was like “you know this is Japanese flour, right?”. Or maybe not exactly like that, but it was implied. Because we didn’t see the great big letters on the package.</div>
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So, we went back home to drop things off, then back on the road for the <a href="https://tropicalspicegarden.com/" target="_blank">Tropical Spice Garden</a>. We got the tickets, and they gave us some bug repellent lemongrass spray. It did nothing for my cousin’s wife, as she was bit several times, and even I ended up with a bite. I usually don’t get them, apparently my blood repels bugs. The one that I did get quickly went away after I put some cream on it at home.</div>
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We wondered about the garden for a few hours. They gave us an audioguide, which was good, and the map was useful as well. We skipped the tea at the tea place, and sadly the jungle swing was very busy. There is an area where you can walk on rocks and they’re supposed to give you a foot massage. I tried it, but the bottom of my foot is so sensitive, I couldn’t even stand on it. Why it’s so hard to get shoes.</div>
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I enjoyed the garden a lot, it was very beautiful. I could see the plants of some spices that I used, and some I have never even heard of. I also took lots of pictures of beautiful flowers. I do love nature photography. I didn’t use the audioguide much, as my cousin’s wife has been here before and she also knows biology, so I mostly relied on her. At the exit there were several slides for kids. I went on to the shop, where I had to leave the audioguide.</div>
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The shop had lots of spices for sale, but I didn’t get any as most I could get at home, and the ones I couldn’t, I didn’t really want to experiment with. There were also natural products, souvenirs and cooking books.</div>
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We went on to the restaurant next door, the <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com.my/Restaurant_Review-g635527-d2016468-Reviews-Tree_Monkey-Batu_Ferringhi_Penang_Island_Penang.html" target="_blank">Tree Monkey</a>. Got a seat at a traditional table where you sat on pillows. My knees aren’t very good, so I couldn’t kneel, but rather crossed my legs. The view from there was nice through the trees, and there was a cooling breeze coming from the sea. I thought it was one of the most fun places we’ve eaten definitely had that feel of you’re on a tropical island.</div>
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We got various dishes. I also got a funny purple drink called “Butterfly Pea Flower”. Again, indescribable taste, but nice. We got some spring roles, sweet and sour chicken and pineapple rice, but had to ask them to leave out the cashew, as I’m allergic. It was all very delicious, and they got the cashew thing right the first time around. Can’t tell you how often I have to send dishes back because they forget to leave out the nuts. I always let them know that I’m allergic, just to press on their minds that I’m not being picky. We ended up getting part of the meal packed away, as there was just too much food.</div>
Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374765705460506021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798423611064486541.post-45823019670596870132018-08-09T23:07:00.000+02:002018-08-31T23:44:19.926+02:00Malaysia - Penang - A tale of two restaurants<div style="text-align: justify;">
On this day, we went to the <a href="https://www.gurneyplaza.com.my/en/" target="_blank">Gurney Plaza</a>. It’s a rather big mall with very fancy stores, and a huge amount of eateries. After the toy shop, which was quite big, but I’ve been in bigger, we also went to the bookshop. It used to be my favourite place before I got my Kindle. I still like to browse, but don’t buy anymore. It was interesting to note that they had a large section for female readers, self-help, but a tiny fraction for sci-fi and fantasy. I guess partly because most people I know who read those actually did go over to ebooks, as they are generally very geeky. They also mostly had books in English there, very few in the local language. The kids’ section, however, was comparatively massive. Lots of books by age group, interest, even some author. I guess that market is still very much alive in paper form, unlike the novel market.</div>
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We had lunch at <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com.my/Restaurant_Review-g660694-d9704431-Reviews-Din_Tai_Fung_Restaurant-Penang_Island_Penang.html" target="_blank">Din Thai Fung</a>. Sadly, they only had room under the AC, so it was pretty cold. I don’t really get why people get rooms so cold in the summer. I guess some people dress up more, but most people are in very little clothing. We ordered to share steamed vegetable and pork dumplings, Pork XiaoLongBao, pork chop fried rice, and to drink, roselle sparkling, which I’ve never had, but was very good. I wouldn’t be able to tell you what it tasted like though. Maybe some sort of red berry would be the best estimate. I also loved the fried rice, it had very good flavours. We asked a bit later for some steamed rice, and they were rather late in delivering that. However, the food was very good.</div>
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In the afternoon I didn’t do anything to write about here, but in the evening, we went to an Indian restaurant that didn’t look like much. However, the food was very good. It's called <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com.my/Restaurant_Review-g298303-d7389766-Reviews-Sri_Ananda_Bahwan_Macalister_Road-George_Town_Penang_Island_Penang.html" target="_blank">Sri Ananda Bahwan Garden Cafe</a>. And interesting thing we noted was that just after us a group of Indian people came in, and they got the menu right away. We got it after we asked for it. Not good hospitality. We had two types of korma, which I loved, some curry chicken and naans. The naans were perhaps a bit greasier than I would have liked. We didn’t spend a lot of time there, but the atmosphere was like Indian market, though I’ve never been to India.</div>
Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374765705460506021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798423611064486541.post-70207207979471633572018-08-08T22:51:00.000+02:002018-08-31T22:51:41.149+02:00Malaysia - Penang - First Day<div style="text-align: justify;">
I woke quite early, but that was because I went to sleep early. I won’t go into much details about my cousin’s family, I’m just going to say that they have a nice place and there’s a swimming pool with the apartment complex. They also have a very active almost 4-year-old. So, I spent much of my time with them, or in the pool.</div>
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On the first day I didn’t want to do much. I was still pretty sleepy from the long trip, so I just hung out with family. </div>
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Though a funny thing that happened was that we wanted to go to a mall, but as it turned out, the car of my cousin's wife wasn't starting. The battery had died! So we just bought some food at the nearby Tesco. There I saw different kinds of flavoured milk, like green tea and even korma! That one sounded gross. I couldn't try them out, as I can't drink milk, but the family liked the green tea.</div>
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One thing I did do was go onto the Airbnb site, because with my cancelled Osaka place I also got a voucher for $100 for any experience in the next 6 months. I decided to book something for Tokyo, as I had so little time in Osaka. I had a look at the Izakaya tour I already wanted to go on, but that was more expensive on Airbnb, and that was the money probably wouldn’t have covered it. I looked at several options. Considered a cooking one, but just wasn’t feeling it. Then I spotted a kimono dress-up and tea experience. One of my friends told me that if I dress up in a kimono I should take a lot of pictures. I wasn’t planning on it, but I decided to book the experience. I had to switch my plans around a bit, but it was worth the hassle.</div>
Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374765705460506021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798423611064486541.post-74858813819149940222018-08-07T20:00:00.000+02:002018-08-13T10:27:40.503+02:00Flight from Doha to Penang<div style="text-align: justify;">
I finally managed to connect to the internet after many tries, though I figured out that around the weird bear it was a wifi dead zone. So, I wondered around while sending voice messages to my mum on Facebook Messenger. Much easier than writing.</div>
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I found plenty of designer stores, which I didn’t even approach. Unless someone is willing to sponsor me, I don’t have that kind of money. Or a rich guy marry me. Either will do. There were also some nice-looking restaurants. Found a couple of WH Smiths, but they didn’t have any Doctor Who mags, no surprise there, still looked though. Also a few Harrods stores with the bears. I hurried away less one looks at me right and I accidentally take him to the cashier. I also found an electronics store, with some very interesting items, and did consider getting the portable wifi booster. I may still get one during my trip. I was walked into again in that store, because I still forgot to take off my invisibility cloak apparently!</div>
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I wondered into the food court and saw some nice things. The longest row was for Burger King, which was a surprise considering the other, much better-looking places.</div>
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I also looked at some of the interesting artwork around the airport.</div>
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My mum said that she read online somewhere that I had to go to the counter of my flight. I was “very happy” about that, as it was on one end of a massive airport. I still went there and was informed that I could go to this canteen-like restaurant and get a meal there with my ticket. I also meet a Malaysian woman from London there, who got the info with me. So, we started talking and went to the restaurant. We got some food, but it wasn’t very nice, and the place was cold with uncomfortable seats. We talked for a while, when I got a shock through the wifi.</div>
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My apartment in Osaka had been cancelled! I thought it had all the paperwork necessary now for lending out apartments, but apparently it wasn’t so. I had been refunded the money, but now I had to find an apartment in the very limited Osaka market. I quickly opened the Airbnb app, and started to search. With the refund I also got a coupon for the same amount for my next rent as compensation, and 100 USD that I could put towards an experience in the next 6 months. That did soften the blow a bit, and as prices have gone up, I could have a bigger budget than I did before. After some searching around, I found one that was a lot more expensive, but with the coupon it came out for less than the previous one. I quickly booked it and heaved a sigh of relief. I was definitely planning on using the experience coupon, but that was for another day. Securing a roof over my head was much more important.</div>
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Crisis averted, we chatted some more with the woman, and then walked back to the boarding counter. She decided to rest, so I tried to find a place to charge my phone. Sadly, the British outlet was not in my carry-on, and that was what they used in Doha, so I couldn’t use them. However, I accidentally sat down next to my previous acquaintance! What are the odds! We discussed our situation and as it was soon time to go to the gate, we walked there. It was a massive plane, so after the boarding gate we still had to wait, but at least they had seats.</div>
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I saw lots of kids around. I already saw the next 8 hours of one child or another screaming. I was hoping that I was exhausted enough to at least get some rest. It was finally time to actually get on the plane, and I was just so glad, I wasn’t even scared of the long flight anymore. I got on it, and it was indeed bigger. However, the seat felt smaller, and people were sitting next to me. So, I put on the headphones, turned on Suits - touchscreen this time - and watched as the plane took off in the early morning. There were what appeared to be clouds, but were more like a sandstorm outside. That was weird and unusual for me. Ascend felt quite long, and my nerves got a bit weird, but I chalked it down to being tired. Once we were all the way up, I tried to get comfortable and dosed for a few hours.</div>
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Food came, and I had a special meal again. I did have a little problem with this one, as I can’t eat mushrooms, they give me a stomach ache. Luckily, I could get them to the side of my eggs. I ate everything, had a coffee, and tried to rest a bit more. No such luck, so I selected some Hallmark movies and watched those. Over the Indian ocean there was a lot of turbulence, so that didn’t help. I just watched my second movie when we landed, and I finally got off the plane knowing that I wasn’t getting on one for over a week.</div>
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We walked straight into the airport, and after some corridors to passport control, and bumped into my blue-haired acquaintance again. We chatted some more as we walked and waited. I noticed a sigh of a quarantine for people coming from places that had yellow fever, which didn’t look promising. At the passport control they took my fingerprints electronically, and I could go to get my bag. It arrived quite fast and intact. I was so relieved I hugged it. I got my bags through another baggage check, and was finally outside. My cousin was waiting for me, and he was surprised to see us both. I said my goodbyes and we went outside to his car.</div>
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The air was very humid and hot at the same time. I hoped I would get used to it fast. We got into the car to go to his place, and as we talked I took pictures and marvelled at the streets. In a way it was the chaos and the mixture of wealth and poverty that I expected from TV, but it was still different to actually be there. By the time we got to the apartment I was getting very exhausted, so I soon retired to the guestroom. It was very lucky that I arrived in the evening, as I could get up in the morning on time. I had been on the road for 25 hours, and awake for 30. I slept like the dead.</div>
Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374765705460506021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798423611064486541.post-41048571731283116812018-08-06T23:30:00.000+02:002018-08-13T09:31:01.005+02:00Flight from Hungary to Doha<div style="text-align: justify;">
I woke today because of the heat. It has been quite hot in Szeged lately. However, I was also anxious. I've never been on a flight as long as I was going to take today. At least, not consciously. I know, however, that if I'm anxious beforehand, I will be all right during the event. It has happened to me several times. </div>
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My mum did say that I'm the one who decided to do the trip. I explained that it was like having two people inside me. One is screaming at me what I'm doing and I must be crazy. The other half wants the adventure. I let the adventure part win unless it's something unnecessarily dangerous. Therefore, off I was. Not that I didn't have three freak-outs while buying the tickets. However, the key is to let yourself be scared and do it anyway. </div>
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I booked my flight with Qatar. It was either that, or Emirates. I wasn't going to go with anything cheaper than that, as I knew I needed a level of comfort to reassure myself. However, with Emirates I would have had to change planes in Kuala Lumpur again, and I didn't want the extra hassle. Qatar had direct Penang flights from Doha. My cousin, whom I'm visiting, warned me when he spotted a sale on tickets in January, so I got them then.</div>
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Reaching the airport today was no easy task. As I live in the South of Hungary, I always have to travel a lot to get to the airport. I could have tried the train, but they're repairing the tracks, so that would have meant a bus and a train. Instead, my lovely boss offered to drive me. </div>
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It would have been easy, but suddenly the cars slowed and then stopped in front of us. They barely moved for a while. We called my mum as she has access to the Internet. She notified us that there had been an accident and they were detouring traffic from the M5. Slowly, with some driving skills we managed to get to a sideroad in an hour. It was scary, but I got to the airport an hour and a half before takeoff. </div>
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I went through check-in and security, but they held up my bags. The hand-massager again. I got a bottle of overpriced water and chatted with mum about how I got in on time. I took an aspirin for my circulation and waited for boarding. </div>
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Surprise, I meet a colleague of my cousin, whom I visiting! She's going to Penang too. We chatted a bit, she was very interested in my travel plans to Japan. She said she thought of going there herself, and I told her I would upload to my blog my detailed travel plans once I did them. That way they would be based on reality. Of course, with all travel plans, you always include some guesswork as to how long things are going to be.</div>
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Boarding finally came and I took my very comfy window seat. Luckily, no one sat next to me. It was probably the biggest plane I've ever been on, and according to my flight info the next plane was going to be even bigger. Sadly, I was over the wing, but while we were turning, I managed to get a few good shots.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJbU0ixVRIfyN1ZUOfTWh2V4KJVaYCSa-VPTkQkUAc30g0Qowj4cqX1q_eXrUNn-E4aUGLNJxJcL4QsBa24fzhbNSMjR4yIhDqIJhnqC0X2T5OxETb-jUoek4d_J-wJ_z3D-NxcH7Oqas/s1600/IMG_20180806_180709.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJbU0ixVRIfyN1ZUOfTWh2V4KJVaYCSa-VPTkQkUAc30g0Qowj4cqX1q_eXrUNn-E4aUGLNJxJcL4QsBa24fzhbNSMjR4yIhDqIJhnqC0X2T5OxETb-jUoek4d_J-wJ_z3D-NxcH7Oqas/s320/IMG_20180806_180709.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Interestingly enough, the screen didn't seem to be touch screen. However, I really loved the headset they gave. I can't push the earbuds into my ears properly, or if I do, it becomes painful after a time. So I browsed through the movies and found that most I've seen. However, I have wanted to see “The Grand Budapest Hotel”, and they had it, so that's what I saw. It was an interesting movie with a unique style that I think appeals more to Eastern Europeans. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTB3K7nVc_KiXzxywDYSobpXo5aqq5Z-HoTHZ5QctIA-aN3XCuu9KYrtt4u606A5VOedGrc1DImUBcbBRzm81cUlTeDgGNBTNMr2x4CvoYYrgwgpXBlDe904CwJjI_tU-qmkx9zrg4Qxo/s1600/IMG_20180806_180109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTB3K7nVc_KiXzxywDYSobpXo5aqq5Z-HoTHZ5QctIA-aN3XCuu9KYrtt4u606A5VOedGrc1DImUBcbBRzm81cUlTeDgGNBTNMr2x4CvoYYrgwgpXBlDe904CwJjI_tU-qmkx9zrg4Qxo/s320/IMG_20180806_180109.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Meanwhile, they brought dinner. They gave a menu beforehand, but I have picked a non-lactose meal with my ticket. They had my special meal put aside with my name and seat. So nice! The steward who served it was pretty good-looking too. He said my name and called me "mam". I almost told him to stop that, because I've been single so long, I feel a blush coming on every time he smiles at me.</div>
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The meal turned out to be chicken with vegetables and rice, a small salad, fruits and crackers with spread. They had alcohol, so I had a nice glass of chardonnay. I ate it all as I skipped lunch. Then they took away the trays and served tea and coffee. I had some nice tea with a slice of lemon. </div>
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Afterwards, I visited the ladies’. Why I'm mentioning this is they actually had some kind of scent bottles in there. Didn't try them though, because I have very sensitive skin.</div>
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I returned to my seat, but it back, and decided to close my eyes for a bit. On the entertainment system I put on Suits and that was a great background to rest. If course, it wasn't very comfortable any way, but I managed to gather some energy. Then landing came. I was surprised as to how well I've taken flying so long, and that gave me confidence for the next, longer leg of my trip.</div>
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As I exited the plane, I was hit by the warm air of Doha. It was very hot, even though it was night. They took us to the airport by bus. I got on and put my heavy backpack between my legs. A family got on as well, and the guy with his own backpack stood so close, I had to back up a bit. Through the long ride he kept bumping his pack against my stomach. I had nowhere to go. After one stronger hit I knocked on his back and told him to be more careful as I'm there. That was when he noticed me and stood a bit differently. Now I'm not small by any stretch of the imagination, so I must have had my invisibility cloak on. </div>
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When we exited the bus, I was hit by the hot air once again and hurried into the cooled airport. I had to go through security again, and they made me throw out my water bottle! WHY??? It made no sense, and I told them how stupid it was. Probably just a ploy to sell overpriced water again.</div>
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After security I checked the flight information. That's when I felt hopeless anger. My flight had been delayed by 3 hours! 3! Why? WHY? Only one other flight on the whole board had been delayed. I was already pretty tired, there were still 2 hours normally until my flight, so that meant 5 hours at the airport. On top of that my phone had a hard time connecting to the internet so that I could unload my troubles on my mum, and I tried to look for my newfound acquaintance, but she wasn't around. She had blue hair, so I have no idea how I didn't spot her. Shouldn't have been that hard to find. So slowly, I resolved to wait out the many hours and explore the airport a bit. It was good for my circulation to walk around.</div>
Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374765705460506021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798423611064486541.post-51501838493147100212018-06-04T23:00:00.000+02:002018-06-18T21:33:33.103+02:00Turkey - Istanbul - Lots of work and some food<div style="text-align: justify;">
It wasn’t easy getting up, but I managed and did my morning workout. I was proud of myself for having done that and after a shower had a nice breakfast. I wanted to do a video of breakfast, but there were many people around, so I just decided not to. Most of them seemed the business type. On my way back to the room, I did pick up a fig to eat.</div>
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Afterwards I got ready for work. That took up most of the day. However, one of the partners took us to lunch at this very nice restaurant. I visited it last June as well. It looks very unassuming, you wouldn’t think it’s anything special. However, the food is delicious. It’s called <a href="http://www.madalyali.com.tr/" target="_blank">Madalyalı Koru Tesisleri</a> and I wrote a review.</div>
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Review:</h3>
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<a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g293974-d3573147-Reviews-Madalyali_Restaurant-Istanbul.html" target="_blank">Oasis in the area</a></div>
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Madalyalı is a more traditional Turkish restaurant. It’s located in an area that is a mixture of industrial and residential. Definitely not the place where you see many tourists roaming around.</div>
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I’ve eaten twice in this restaurant, both times invited by partners who work near there. We ate in the shady more open area. There is small inner garden in there, with a pond that has frogs and turtles, though I would suggest adding fish. There is a cute waterfall. However, the waterfall does have a lot of limescale, which could use a clean-up. There did seem to be something going on with the little garden, so I hope that it’s what I suggested.</div>
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Both times I had a Turkish salad, which was very nice. I asked for a version without walnuts, as I’m allergic. If you have the same problem, then note that by default it does have walnuts. We also got some mushrooms with cheese, which looked very nice, though again, I can’t eat mushrooms. For main, I had a nice piece of meat with rice and lentils. They also brought some thin Turkish bread, which was nice. I do love the rice and lentils combo, and that’s something I’ll want to do at home.</div>
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I do recommend this restaurant. The flavours are good and simple. The atmosphere is comfortable, and even on a hot day very cool. It’s an oasis in a busy environment. For more on Istanbul, please visit my channel on YouTube, Izzy’s Travel Diaries.</div>
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After some more work, we headed back to the hotel, pretty tired. I had some free time, and the sun was shinning onto the balcony. I picked up that rolling desk-chair, a put it out onto the balcony. I had no bikini, so I rolled up my skirt and put on a workout bra. I first tried to work on my laptop, but the light was so strong. I opted for my Kindle instead. I stayed outside in spite of the loud street until I could get some sun.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid6Tihutq6PqnOYeiUeArKzuSH-gSwRnZ4eL4sqJSaOPxG7woGaSdBmxQQZ6XTjs_7qIdlr_E53SpUK2BV7bs-u9YkMH4KP_8jb_n0e8GGYG4nrlNbs94lcGkwgHusGbW2y56GURwm_oQ/s1600/DSC02212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid6Tihutq6PqnOYeiUeArKzuSH-gSwRnZ4eL4sqJSaOPxG7woGaSdBmxQQZ6XTjs_7qIdlr_E53SpUK2BV7bs-u9YkMH4KP_8jb_n0e8GGYG4nrlNbs94lcGkwgHusGbW2y56GURwm_oQ/s320/DSC02212.JPG" width="320" /></a>I wasn’t very hungry, so we just had a light dinner at Mado. I had a lentil soup. I really love the traditional lentil soup in Turkey. I try to eat it more than once. They spiced it up a bit by adding some small mozzarella balls and crotons. The Mado near the hotel was very nice. They even shot down the fan when I asked. The air was moving fine on its own anyway. The waiter was a really attentive and fast-moving guy. I liked him a lot.</div>
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After dinner, I decided not to hit the sack yet and went down to do some video and buy a few things at the shop. My mum has a major sweet tooth, so I always try to take her some local chocolate. It was nice walking around at night. There were a lot of people about, also a couple of dogs. They seemed a lot livelier than during the day, when they mostly just lie about.</div>
Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374765705460506021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798423611064486541.post-81639808927373443822018-06-03T22:37:00.002+02:002018-06-06T12:20:50.639+02:00Turkey - Istanbul - Viaport Shopping Day<div style="text-align: justify;">
I set the alarm next to my bed to 6.30am. Pretty early, but I wanted to work out in the morning, and I also had to set time aside for snoozes and me talking myself into working out. Though thing to do. The alarm turned out to be quite annoying, an insistent beeping, which only relented for about 8 minutes with the snooze button. After two snoozes, I dragged myself out, got ready, put on the headphones, selected a Spotify playlist, and took the elevator down to -3.</div>
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It was quite abandoned so early in the morning. I checked, and there was an alarm I could pull in case of an emergency. I started with the treadmill, did some things with handweights that I’m used to doing with my trainer, changed playlists as the first one was crap. Then as a rest I took a selfie for Instagram. Got it on the 10th try. Don’t know why my phone keeps blurring the selfies. Must be a feature, but it’s annoying. It wasn’t always like that.</div>
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After my selfie break I used the bicycle, which isn’t like the usual ones. It’s a recumbent exercise bike – yes, I looked it up. It’s actually very good for my very bad knees, as they don’t have to bend over the 90° angle, which is what bothers them the most about biking. So, I did a good 10 minutes on that at a good speed. Then did some floor exercises and was done. Walked it off for a few minutes.</div>
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I took a shower, got my contacts in, hair, make-up, pretty girl, outfit trying, outfit discarded, and settled on my jeans. I went down to breakfast, and there was practically no one there. I wanted to have soup, but there wasn’t any! I’ve never seen a Turkish breakfast spread without soup. I opted to have a protein feast and some vegetables. Got tomato sauce on my top and tried to take it out with some water. Then another disaster, obviously one of those mornings, I overfilled the coffee cup and it spilled everywhere. No whitener at breakfast of course, and no soy milk. Or any milk that has no lactose and I can drink. Got a nice seat, then had to go back for juice. Breakfast went on Instagram, and I ate while listening to Matt Dillahunty dissecting a debate he had done recently. Yes, I’m an atheist and I really like listening to debates and thoughts on debates. I ate the food, but it could have been warmer. I tried the coffee, but it was awful without milk. I abandoned it and got some tea instead. Turkish tea is so strong, it’s a pretty good substitute for coffee anyway. I’ll probably do that from now on.</div>
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After breakfast I went up, tried to take out the spots on my top again with soap. I put the desk chair out onto the balcony to put the top on it to dry. We were going to check out another hotel with my boss, but I had plenty of time, so I worked on my blog, my Instagram, did the tags. Of course, my boss overslept, and we opted to skip the hotel viewing, and just go straight to shopping at <a href="http://www.viaport.com.tr/?dil=en" target="_blank">Viaport</a>. </div>
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I had a list of things that I wanted to get. It was difficult when I needed help in shops, because no one speaks English. Shop assistants kept talking to me, and I had to break it to them that I don’t speak Turkish. I did find some shoes that I wanted, which made me very happy. Shoe shopping is hard. After some shopping, I had a stop at Starbucks. Starbucks is actually cheaper in Turkey than in Hungary, which is crazy. I got a cold coffee, an apple juice, and sat down on a sunny spot to rest. Maybe get a little tan.</div>
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Then I had lunch with my boss, who was doing his own shopping. We ate at <a href="http://mado.com.tr/" target="_blank">Mado</a>, which is mostly a pastry shop, but they have some basic savoury dishes as well. I had a lemonade, which was nicer than the one before, and a köfte spaghetti. It was an interesting mix between Italian and Turkish flavours. I enjoyed it, though I probably had more carbs than I should.</div>
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After that I shopped a lot at the <a href="https://www.koton.com/en/women/t/M01-C02" target="_blank">Koton </a>outlet. It was great, as I finally found two skirts. I wanted to buy more, but you can barely find any skirts in Viaport. As I looked around, even though it was a warm day, I barely saw anyone in skirts. Most women wore long jeans. Not even shorts. Another thing I had a problem finding was a bikini. I tried on a few, but the fit was awful. I need to find a new one for Malaysia. I did gain a lot of weight since last year, but nothing I do gets the weight off.</div>
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I did find a new bijou shop though, with some really great stuff. It's called <a href="http://www.denizkabugum.com/default.aspx" target="_blank">Deniz Kabuğu</a>.</div>
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There were so many kids everywhere! It was hard to not fall over in one, or get a pram pushed onto my foot. Even when I was trying on shoes, I had to pay attention to not have a kid fall over my stuff. </div>
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We went to buy something for dinner and went back to the hotel. I changed and went down to the gym for another session. Used the bike again for over half an hour, so I hope I made a dent in my weightloss program. Back in my room I only had some soup and two dates for dinner. I was pretty exhausted and soon went to bed.</div>
Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374765705460506021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798423611064486541.post-10158331630508108952018-06-02T23:00:00.000+02:002018-06-03T23:08:56.209+02:00Turkey - Flying to Istanbul again<div style="text-align: justify;">
There weren’t really much in the way of surprises that day. The flight had the comfortable 1.50pm take-off time, so I could sleep until my normal time, have breakfast, gather anything I may have forgot about the night before, and still be ready for my ride to the airport. The weather was the only strange thing, as the days before it had been hot in my hometown, but of course on that morning there was a thunderstorm. Luckily, as we left the city limits, that soon passed as well.</div>
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Surprisingly, in Budapest it didn’t rain while I dragged my luggage from the parking to the terminal. Check-in, getting coffee went off without any problems. An annoying thing at the airport was that the wifi was nowhere to be found. Quite strange, as I usually post a picture on my Instagram before take-off. I even got a really nice picture, which I would have loved to post.</div>
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The only other anomaly was that we got on the bus, went to the plane, and the bus doors didn’t open. We just waited and waited for many minutes. It turned out that we had to wait for a person in a wheelchair to get on the plane, though not sure why the two weren’t doable at the same time. </div>
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I got a seat next to the window. I have a Turkish Airlines loyalty card. One benefit is that I’ve set among my preferences that I like to sit next to the window, so now I always get window seat. So, my fellow travellers, that’s something I recommend. Get loyalty cards, accounts for everything, as they usually have benefits even if you only use them a few times. As someone who has worked as a receptionist, I always upgraded loyalty members if we oversold on the cheaper rooms. Believe me, overselling on the basic rooms is quite common.</div>
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As the plane was getting ready for take-off, it started to rain quite heavily. So, there was rain while I was in Budapest! Luckily, I didn’t get wet this time. It really didn’t bother the plane either. Within seconds of being in the air, the rain was gone, and the sun was shining again.</div>
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The flight itself was uneventful. There were few clouds, so we got little turbulence. One new thing was the food. At every Turkish Airline flight we got a sandwich, a mousse, and drink. On that flight we also got a nice chicken salad. It did have milk, but I took my pill and was fine. They didn’t give it the usual way either, but on a handy paper tray. I hope they recycle though.<br />
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Once the plane landed we headed out and managed to go into departures instead of arrivals. Good fun. Backtracked and finally got to the passport control. The thing about passport control in Istanbul is that they make you walk up and down blocked off corridors instead of just opening the crossways. So, everyone is pretty tired by the time they actually get to the stamping person. I call it the start of Turkish training camp. I actually saw some Hungarian wrestlers get off the plane. They had wide shoulders and smashed in noses. Hope that they get plastic surgery once they retire. Though noses are notoriously difficult.</div>
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We got the luggage okay and visited the ladies’ afterwards. When I got back my boss was sitting next to a guy and they both had their arms crossed over their chests. I found it so funny, I just started laughing. Then we got the paperwork done for the rental car. My boss has an Avis card, and that usually gets us an upgrade on the car. We got a nice Ford this time. We also asked how much the tunnel is to the Asian side and found out that only 20Ł. Well worth all the time we can save, so we settled on using that from now on. A minibus took us to the rental parking. We had to wait for it and there was a family of all women next to us. The little girl started screaming at the top of her lungs. Poor thing, was probably very tired. This is to my friend Tony: Screaming kid! He’ll get it. The minibus was so full, there weren’t enough seats, so I got to ride with the driver. As I’m learning to drive now and struggling with all the pedals, I kept an eye on his feet as to how he does it. Quite neatly.</div>
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We got the car and were off to the Asian side. Traffic was heavy, but we kept a good pace. The tunnel worked out well, just as we expected. On the way to the hotel, we passed the airport on the Asian side. Before that there was some sort of surface mining going on with the dust going everywhere. After that we saw two parallel running concrete tubes that were being constructed. They were massive, but there was no apparent reason for them. Also, some basis for high electricity wiring were coming towards them from the other side of the hills. I have no idea what any of this is for, so I just described them. Maybe I’ll find out some day.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOXyyMoWS83r2MFNphdHQWCMs-NdVMS9bm2lB3sWTRRLmMH9jiLk0xL9NiBdHFHhffn-ENDUh5tXvG3zRPwdhwEv_TM2PQVWQZja4I_xKLf2XysfvyN3Zgkd6cA9Vnvud2f5t2ybpII5U/s1600/IMG_20180602_201234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOXyyMoWS83r2MFNphdHQWCMs-NdVMS9bm2lB3sWTRRLmMH9jiLk0xL9NiBdHFHhffn-ENDUh5tXvG3zRPwdhwEv_TM2PQVWQZja4I_xKLf2XysfvyN3Zgkd6cA9Vnvud2f5t2ybpII5U/s320/IMG_20180602_201234.jpg" width="240" /></a>We got to the hotel, Hampton by Hilton Istanbul Kurtkoy, and check-in was as painful as it usually is, with my boss repeating the same thing over and over again, a really long list of requirements that seem to always confuse the receptionists. Especially as most of them speak very minimal English. I may put some English teaching videos onto that YouTube channel of mine that I would design for these people. I worked as a receptionist myself, so that would be a good basis for them. I’m adding another project! Somebody stop me!</div>
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Of course, the first rooms weren’t right, as they faced the very busy road. We went back, and I clarified to the receptionist that the rooms being quiet and non-smoking were top priority, all the other things were down the list.</div>
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Second rooms were good, and I got a really nice view of the square next to the hotel. The room also had a nice couch, perfect for sitting on and writing this blog. It did have a balcony, but strangely no furniture on it.</div>
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I settled into the room a bit, and we were off to find something for dinner. Before that though my boss needed to get his phones out of the car, so I waited in the lobby and had a look around. I found a typo again! What is it with Hilton hotels in Turkey and not being able to spell in English. Instead of “quiet” they wrote “quite”. Of course, as an English teacher I had to point it out, and the two staff members didn’t understand what I was talking about! I left it, as we were off to eat. I was very hungry. There are plenty of places to eat around the hotel. Even our favourite chain restaurant, <a href="http://www.tavukdunyasi.com/en" target="_blank">Tavuk Dünyası</a>, which is where we went. The night was quite cold, but in the restaurant it was nice. Very full, as usually for Ramadan dinner Turkish people go out to eat. I got a nice lemonade, though maybe a bit sweeter than I’d make it. My boss got all his food and had almost eaten it too by the time I got my chicken, pasta, salad combo. It was a bit much, but I ate it all.</div>
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After that I popped back into the hotel for a cardigan that I brought, and we went to the Carefour near the hotel to get some juice. We also had a look around for dinner options while we’re there.</div>
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I got in pretty late, washed my hair in the big shower. I like the shampoo and conditioner they provide. They also have a very nice hairdryer. The bed was very comfortable, but I had trouble falling asleep all the same.</div>
Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374765705460506021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798423611064486541.post-62850151514376025542018-05-18T22:00:00.000+02:002018-05-19T14:01:25.523+02:00Hungary - Szeged - Opening Ceremony of the 24th Wine Festival<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today opened my favourite event in my hometown, the May Wine Festival. We actually have a smaller one called "Wine Square" in September. This one, however, is major. It has 163 wine stands, and extends to basically the whole downtown.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIeygxEKFgMvKa6e7bDU_-5TzD7M6hI9immh7ecgF6rQzUZK2Odkup0DA9JUKcQmTxR5OILs53ZCMZQRO7l0daCjwjHcEZdGCJ6wTBnaHv2kPY3sr9hFyTYb9dkndGGuu-_mH8HXBM_Qw/s1600/DSC02124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIeygxEKFgMvKa6e7bDU_-5TzD7M6hI9immh7ecgF6rQzUZK2Odkup0DA9JUKcQmTxR5OILs53ZCMZQRO7l0daCjwjHcEZdGCJ6wTBnaHv2kPY3sr9hFyTYb9dkndGGuu-_mH8HXBM_Qw/s320/DSC02124.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I decided to film the Opening Ceremony. It started at Dugonics square, so My mum and I got there well before. There was actually a car leaving from the closed off area. Not sure how it got there, but in the end it managed to get out. There was a stage, and a woman was singing on it, but not very well. I looked for the best position to get the first part of the procession from, so I moved around a bit. I ended up getting into the wrong position at first, but quickly got to a better one. I got my footage, and once they walked out of my camera range, I started running to catch them at the next stop. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEEeGkslwg74BKFjzlcwNHPyigYuNJr5mtVAsWK9nkthapA0PQfHLyt4KWKalzJC7rRcrZw_oC-AutQ_FOGS9BWc2u1gd1IqG5y3-IAA-jogUtFA8xrxb4vNbXSWMwr-gupCzvEz5298g/s1600/DSC02131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEEeGkslwg74BKFjzlcwNHPyigYuNJr5mtVAsWK9nkthapA0PQfHLyt4KWKalzJC7rRcrZw_oC-AutQ_FOGS9BWc2u1gd1IqG5y3-IAA-jogUtFA8xrxb4vNbXSWMwr-gupCzvEz5298g/s320/DSC02131.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I did and got a great position. There were some disturbances, like a homeless person just walking right into the middle of the performance. One of the flag throwers also kept throwing it too far for a girl. Then one of the boys didn't catch it. It was funny, because messing up while performing is always funny. I know, I used to perform as a belly dancer for years.</div>
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They went on, and I kept following, but after getting some more footage, I knew I had enough. You can't make it too long. So I went to their end goal, because I also wanted to record the opening speeches. So once those started, I just did the whole thing, prepared to cut it later. </div>
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After that I recorded my intro, and headed to my favourite winery for a glass. My mum was hungry, so we got some food too. I ate fried blood. Yes, that's an actual food we eat, it's very good.</div>
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Once full, we headed home, but checked out the cheese stand where we always get some. We didn't have a lot of money on us, so just made note of what we're going to get.</div>
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I'm going to go to the festival a lot, because I love it a lot. It has a great atmosphere, great wine, lots of food, so no reason not to go.</div>
Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374765705460506021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798423611064486541.post-60013141024657308922018-04-11T23:00:00.000+02:002018-05-20T19:36:09.587+02:00Turkey - From Konya back to Istanbul<div style="text-align: justify;">
This was my last morning in Konya. I was a bit sad that I didn’t go walking the night before, but I was too exhausted. I started packing, and got down to breakfast a bit late. I didn’t really feel like eating soup, which I had chosen the morning before. Very nice, but I just wanted some pancakes, which I got. I again took my coffee up to my room, to drink once it cooled. I packed, but was still a bit tired. Frankly, I never slept well. I kept waking up, tossing and turning. Couldn’t decide why, but something kept me uncomfortable. I hoped for a nice sleep in the new hotel that night.</div>
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We returned to the airport. It was hard to find the place to enter from the rented cars park. None of the doors opened from the ground floor. Then we discovered we had to take the outside elevator upstairs. It smelled strongly of cigarettes. Upstairs, we could enter, and had to go through the first line of checks. This made me a bit worried, as my boss had a toolbox that he put into my bag, because he was afraid of being over the weight limit. We brought it as a sample. So when they put our luggages through the X-ray, of course they made us open my suitcase. I had my boss take care of that, as at the time they were making me start my laptop. It’s a new thing they do. You have to unpack the major electronic devices and start them. After me there was a woman, who had a big photography case. She had to open that too. When she opened it up, it was full of equipment. I was a bit envious of her. I told her she had quite the set-up. She replied that photography is a serious hobby for her. I told her I loved it too, but I didn’t have the strength to carry such things around. That’s actually because I have a waist problem and sometimes it gets painful even with my tiny camera. So she motioned towards my boss and asked why I didn’t have him carry it. I had to inform her that that’s my boss, and I’m more likely to carry his stuff. I do sometimes, actually.</div>
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Meanwhile, he was having his own little adventure with the officer who was checking my suitcase. He examined the toolbox, but kept rummaging around. Then the officer asked if it was my boss’ luggage. He replied that no, and gestured towards me that it was mine. The officer quickly abandoned his search. I guess it’s a good thing I always pack my underwear in a separate bag.</div>
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We had to wait a bit to check in. There weren’t a lot of people around. An interesting couple of people were dressed like they were from Nepal. They even had warm hats on. It was quite warm, so I didn’t get why.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8EFsHz-abLqBnSu18A9H4-BvpcEcxddpauUznyhcrcZ7Y7ISQnNw9cgsCNV8pPEQYDoTaOz-lwWMPO2xL2oLb4j9I3UbeWGujKO92wKbCbE7gN2At_2TwjLXVVLL3ae5ZZS9CjKIxSzw/s1600/IMG_20180411_120924.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="895" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8EFsHz-abLqBnSu18A9H4-BvpcEcxddpauUznyhcrcZ7Y7ISQnNw9cgsCNV8pPEQYDoTaOz-lwWMPO2xL2oLb4j9I3UbeWGujKO92wKbCbE7gN2At_2TwjLXVVLL3ae5ZZS9CjKIxSzw/s320/IMG_20180411_120924.jpg" width="179" /></a>We checked in, and passed through security. There was no line, as there was barely anyone around. So I put my backpack through, took out my laptop, but not the other stuff. Seriously, if I took out all my electronics, it would take a year. When my bag went through, the officer stopped me. He started talking about something metal being in my bag. I had lots of metal in my bag, so I wasn’t sure what he was talking about. A female officer joined us. So the guy kept pointing to a part of my bag. I pulled out my massage gloves. They are plastic, with metal balls to use for a stronger massage. He stared at it, and asked what it was. The woman knew it right away. He said something about not keeping it in my carry-on. Actually, I’ve been travelling with it there since I got it in Aveiro the year before. I keep it there in case I need my circulation helped along on the plane.</div>
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So we sat down, then got some food at the only little bufe in the domestic departures. I also used the cleanest toilet I have ever seen in an airport. As I was eating, I could hear fighter jets. Then they appeared in front of the tall windows that overlooked the runway. It was the Turkish air force practicing. Konya has a massive airbase. It was the coolest thing ever! There was an airshow right in front of me. They did loops and turns, formations and solos. They were still doing it as we went outside to board the plane. When some would pass overhead, everyone stopped and just watched them.</div>
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The plane set off towards the take-off part of the runway. And kept going. And going. It was taxiing so much, I wondered if we were going to go to Istanbul on the ground. When it reached the furthest strip from the airport, it finally took off. It felt like forever. The flight itself was fine, quite uneventful. Got the usual sandwich. We arrived to Istanbul, and flew right passed it. Then I understood that we were going to take the landing passage that came from the sea. The year before we stayed at a hotel right under that landing passage. Wonderful hotel, unbelievably noisy. At night you could see a daisy-chain of plane lights that were in line to land on Atatürk Airport. When we finally landed, there was a lot of taxiing again to finally park. I swear I spent more time on the ground in that plane, than in the air.</div>
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It was quite strange to land in Istanbul and not have to go through all the security checks. As we were waiting for the luggages, many women came in full niqab, only their eyes visible. Their men were dressed like any other guy, jeans, red trainers. It looked like such a contrast. I felt a bit weird standing next to them in Western clothing. Frankly, I also felt a bit sorry for them that they felt that’s what they had to do in their lives, and all the limitations they had. But it’s not my place to judge, only to observe.</div>
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After we picked up our bags, we searched for the Miles & Smiles stand which is the Turkish Airlines benefit program. We’ve been having a problem with signing up, but it turned out that we both had functioning accounts. He didn’t know about it, I couldn’t sign into mine. Somehow getting a card printed fixed both which I found out once I got to the internet.</div>
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We picked up our car and headed to the hotel. We stayed at the Hampton by Hilton Zeytinburnu. When we got to the hotel and told them about the requests we wrote down in advance, they seemed a bit frazzled. Obviously, they don’t do room allocations in advance. So I ended up with a room on the ground floor, furthest from reception. At least I got a workout every time.</div>
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I really liked the room. It had a lot of green, which is my favourite colour. It was also very clean and modern, which is just my taste. The previous room was bigger, but for some reason I liked this room better. I guess it just felt more like something that I would do.<br />
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Review:</h3>
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<a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g293974-d10588203-Reviews-Hampton_by_Hilton_Istanbul_Zeytinburnu-Istanbul.html" target="_blank">Comfortable atmosphere</a></h4>
This hotel is very well situated. It’s relatively close to the historical centre, and also on the outskirts of the Zeytinburnu district with all the shops. There is also a train going behind it to the centre and also to the ferry port. However, the train can get loud in the room towards the end of the hotel.<br />
The staff is very nice and friendly. There is a pantry by the reception and quite a large bar area. In case you need conference rooms, they have those as well. There is also a small gym in the basement and that’s where you can go to the underground garage.<br />
The room is nice, though a bit smaller. However, I really liked the atmosphere of the room, it felt comfortable and relaxing. The TV mainly has Turkish channels. There are a good amount of plugs, but no wired internet. Wifi works well though. The bathroom has a large shower and a good amount of counter space. Do check out my video on my YouTube channel, Izzy’s Travel Diaries for more details.<br />
Breakfast is nice, though relatively smaller than what I’m used to in Turkey. They had a large amount of people, and quickly ran out of everything. I often used cereal bowls for soup.<br />
Overall, nice, comfortable hotel. I had very good sleeps on the bed, maybe a bit too good as it was hard to drag myself down to breakfast. Especially, because it was often so crowded. I wish I could have packed up my breakfast and taken it on a tray to my room. I did take my coffee.</div>
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After a bit of rest we headed to the <a href="http://www.olivium.com.tr/" target="_blank">Olivium </a>for dinner, and then a bit of shopping. </div>
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I was very happy to fall into my bed, and had the best sleep since I got to Turkey. Very comfortable bed.</div>
Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374765705460506021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798423611064486541.post-67805492093157447972018-04-10T23:00:00.000+02:002018-05-13T23:51:54.381+02:00Turkey - Konya - Day 3<div style="text-align: justify;">
I was still very tired in the morning, and dragging myself to breakfast was hard. At least, I finally got some pancakes! I also took my coffee back to my room. They never have lactose-free milk at breakfast, so I have to use powder. However, then I also have to wait for the coffee to cool down, which takes forever. So instead, I took my coffee to my room. No one said a thing, so I was planning on doing the same the next morning.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE7odRklIULAftcmsZfs0Q81wph98bsc1h8-3Bk-Y0BsiPdOw3HboaS9WDHoKFqKEh4e66UyiiEkZC8ztzPR7ligFk0_qcHQ9LQWStAfIuR8Wj5mfOrFgg1R1euxx8W6i2ASR5otKKoqw/s1600/DSC01916.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE7odRklIULAftcmsZfs0Q81wph98bsc1h8-3Bk-Y0BsiPdOw3HboaS9WDHoKFqKEh4e66UyiiEkZC8ztzPR7ligFk0_qcHQ9LQWStAfIuR8Wj5mfOrFgg1R1euxx8W6i2ASR5otKKoqw/s320/DSC01916.JPG" width="320" /></a>Then there was work again, and it was rather long. I was still a bit tired, so it was hard, because it ran rather long too. Interpreting can tire you out quickly. We went to lunch, and it was another great restaurant. We actually wanted to go to a different one at first, but it was closed for renovations. We ended up in a very nice, white tablecloth place called <a href="http://www.asyalahmacun.com/" target="_blank">Asya Lahmacun & Kebap</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzgzdkiV4jI6hyphenhyphen1R-jCn6EXqgVHRrfF75npuVDP-juVVNq5lfODiO3VvkWuptjt24qa2MIU7b2UpbxNZXOajvyi230HWqlrA6u4kByNQovhTXBcvlo8acnsEIvtaTK1CwSTuZXw3oPfzU/s1600/DSC01917.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzgzdkiV4jI6hyphenhyphen1R-jCn6EXqgVHRrfF75npuVDP-juVVNq5lfODiO3VvkWuptjt24qa2MIU7b2UpbxNZXOajvyi230HWqlrA6u4kByNQovhTXBcvlo8acnsEIvtaTK1CwSTuZXw3oPfzU/s320/DSC01917.JPG" width="320" /></a>I had a delicious and creamy lentil soup. Then they brought out a pastry filled with spicy meat. The main dish that I had was the Asia Special. A kind of pastry stuffed with meats and cheese with a spicy sauce. T was so good, but sadly I couldn’t eat it all, or I’d burst. No dessert this time. I really enjoyed the place. The waiters were lovely, and spoke pretty good English too.<br />
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On the way back to the hotel we stopped at a small bakery and got some food for dinner. I was hesitant to get some carbs, but I got a simple simit.</div>
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In the evening I got a small break, and then worked with my boss well into the night. I was pretty exhausted when I went to bed finally.</div>
Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374765705460506021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798423611064486541.post-11702569878861912242018-04-09T22:00:00.000+02:002018-05-13T23:48:21.479+02:00Tukey - Konya - Day 2<div style="text-align: justify;">
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The morning went on the usual way. I thought of going to the gym, then barely scraped myself together for breakfast. I tried to get some pancakes, they ran out. There were less tourist-type people about, more business people. Otherwise, I watched YouTube videos while having breakfast. </div>
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I had some work to do, interpreted some. I’m afraid I won’t be able to go into more details on that, my dear readers. However, I did realise something that just never really struck me before. Turkish people use “too much” instead of “a lot” when speaking in English. This can lead to misunderstandings. In fact, for the rest of my trip I looked out for this, and this turned out to be a common thing, and not only in Konya, but Istanbul as well. Now I don’t know enough Turkish to be able to tell if this is a first language error - an error made by a speaker because of their native language -, or maybe it’s some sort of a language teaching error. However, it is very strange, and I continually had to correct them in my head while translating to Hungarian. Didn’t make my job very easy.</div>
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Then we went on to the Kyoto Japanese park.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-bmOgI8LJSG1ACDHfyxsqdISM0eaGUuqWTVyrOEy12CgsWTdKzRlGdSIRk6VvAsFNYeQGOXUAgVJ9ApyzkX_Ars1oPwplxtCNI6CT31Nb8SS65YVO7UortCC2iduyYInFJVYWBzIOXy8/s1600/DSC01873.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-bmOgI8LJSG1ACDHfyxsqdISM0eaGUuqWTVyrOEy12CgsWTdKzRlGdSIRk6VvAsFNYeQGOXUAgVJ9ApyzkX_Ars1oPwplxtCNI6CT31Nb8SS65YVO7UortCC2iduyYInFJVYWBzIOXy8/s320/DSC01873.JPG" width="179" /></a>On the way to the park, I reflected on the city planning in Konya. There is a central old town, but the city spreads out in a wide area. You think that you left the city proper, and then come onto another district, with mostly new houses. In such a district was the park we were going to.</div>
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The park is in Konya, because the sister city of Konya in Japan is Kyoto. It's located in one of the many brand new districts. The style of the park is conceptional. It feels more like something that wants to mimic your stereotypes of a Japanese garden, than being an actual one. In fact, one of the ponds was filthy, which I doubt would happen in an actual park in Japan. It just made me want my actual trip to Japan to be here as soon as possible. I did have fun making the video, but the whole thing just felt out of place.<br />
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We went on to have lunch at a kind of Turkish family restaurant (<a href="http://www.cemoetliekmek.com/index.html" target="_blank">Cemo Etliekmek</a> - Selçuklu, also have a look at my <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g1467623-d2679495-Reviews-Cemo_Etli_Ekmek-Meram.html" target="_blank">Tripadvisor review</a>). It was in an unremarkable building, in an unremarkable part of town. I had okra soup first. It was fine, though I'm not a fan. Then we had an assortment of meats. It was all delicious, and I knew I wouldn't have dinner that night. Turkish people are great at meat dishes. There was some dessert, but as it was sprinkled with walnuts, I only scraped a little from the side.</div>
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After lunch we returned to the hotel, and I went into the city by myself. I walked past the big cemetery that’s not far from the hotel. It took a while to get to the city proper, but I soldiered on. Online I saw a covered market that I wanted to check out. On the way, I passed some very not tourist-ready shops. Kind of run-down, only Turkish around, staring at my blonde hair. I laughed a little in my head, because I noticed a small tea shop. Turkish people love their tea. They basically constantly drink it, and near businesses you always spot a small tea shop. They have servers who run around with a tray that hangs on metal wires, and is usually filled with their small tea cups. Turkish tea is very strong an I love it, but those glass tea cups baffle me. They become very hot, very quickly, and burn your fingers when you try to touch them. I usually take a napkin, wrap it around the cup, and pick it up that way.<br />
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I did reach the covered market, and made a little video there. It was filled with produce. Lots of onions from the really small ones to big ones. The outer rim of the market mostly has cheese shops. They all carried this extremely mouldy cheese - check my video -. I did see it at breakfast too, but I was too scared for my stomach to try it. Must take care of all your penicillin needs though. Also on the market people kept calling out to me. I have no idea what they were saying, because my Turkish is very limited for now. So I mostly just ignored them. I left the market without actually buying anything, but this is when I wish we used Airbnb. Then I would have a kitchen and try out some of the ingredients there.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjERuEIy7hXa4JthD1XUx5Lb_NJZuIKCIyDJKVhz1PlrZmxHYrA1dM-GuJw0kntI1JZePGP9zv-k4VkKSK6nf9pTPgHGpRMUzZwWSsnfDFxpcfcrFEx6fETK__ggcZTAW1cxL1ZE1ZmsGI/s1600/DSC01901.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjERuEIy7hXa4JthD1XUx5Lb_NJZuIKCIyDJKVhz1PlrZmxHYrA1dM-GuJw0kntI1JZePGP9zv-k4VkKSK6nf9pTPgHGpRMUzZwWSsnfDFxpcfcrFEx6fETK__ggcZTAW1cxL1ZE1ZmsGI/s320/DSC01901.JPG" width="179" /></a>I just started randomly walking down the street, though I did have a general direction in mind. I wanted to explore the bazaar section of the city more. I saw it the day before, and I was intrigued by the two-storey buildings there. When I got there, it reminded me even more of the bazaar. There were sections for different things. You got a whole square of bed linen, then lots of clothes, gold, shoes, anything you could think of. The white buildings with brown trim looked old, but modern at the same time with the clean lines.</div>
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I did get some weird looks, but I couldn’t decide if it was my blonde, uncovered hair, or the camera. I also took some pictures of the Kapu Cami. It’s a pretty big mosque, but kind of tucked away among the buildings. There are even shops for men’s clothing in the underside of the building. I thought of going in, but I wasn’t sure how to go about it, and just decided against it. Didn’t want to get into a situation. While walking, I noticed an old-fashioned shoe repairman. He was very old and sat in a very dirty shop. I thought of taking a picture of him, but didn’t feel that it was appropriate. He’s a human, not a spectacle.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieG8jF811hgrbdXrgaLm6rDOFHEvPMedVdox7yIOX1bJdAdoiRkeglpiL2l2jSUPQDwZDSLRVb6-mMUUviu6FpT8HQGvjpr1ivEqoaippNOQ1xCBxl9sVHRSb6n6KO_GkIewswgkieTms/s1600/DSC01909.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieG8jF811hgrbdXrgaLm6rDOFHEvPMedVdox7yIOX1bJdAdoiRkeglpiL2l2jSUPQDwZDSLRVb6-mMUUviu6FpT8HQGvjpr1ivEqoaippNOQ1xCBxl9sVHRSb6n6KO_GkIewswgkieTms/s320/DSC01909.JPG" width="320" /></a>I kept on walking, and took a picture or video of everything I found interesting. I reached the end of the bazaar, and just wandered around more. I knew that on the other side of the Alaadin hill there was a more modern part of town. Among the interesting things that I saw were a little mosque, a Christian church, and topsy-turvy buildings. By the time I got to the more modern part of town, the sun was going down. All the young people were hanging out there, talking, having tea. It looked like any other Western city, with young people enjoying the evening. The muezzin sang, and no one made a move to pray. I found it a bit amusing. I was getting very tired at that point, but my favourite Turkish clothing brand, LC Waikiki had a store right there, so I went to have a look around.</div>
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After I exited the store, I wished I could take the tram to the hotel. There was a stop right next to the hotel, but I haven’t figured out how to use the public transport in the city, so I forced myself to walk off the rest of my lunch, and headed back on foot. I climbed up the hill to use it was a shortcut. I’m not sure if it actually was though. I passed the Mevlana museum, and took a few pictures of the very pretty night lighting. As I was filming it, a young man came up to me. He was about 20, had a stone in one ear, cigarette in the hand. I told him I don’t speak Turkish. He then switched over to English and said “money, money”. I was kind of outraged. He was clearly not poor, not even sure where he got his money then, but I generally don’t give to beggars. I’m not going to go into details why not now. So I kind of told him to go away in English, and he wandered off. Besides, he was very young, strong. I’m sure if he wanted a job, he could get one.</div>
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I went away a bit, just to make sure that he wouldn’t return or follow me. Made my final video, and hurried back to the hotel. The surrounding area of the hotel can be very dark, and as I tried to make a shortcut, I stepped into something sticky. I was very annoyed, but so glad to get back. I was still glad I went and explored Konya more.<br />
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Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374765705460506021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798423611064486541.post-2934430392918888662018-04-08T22:00:00.000+02:002018-05-13T14:18:04.583+02:00Turkey - Konya - Day 1<div style="text-align: justify;">
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I woke to the sound of the fan going off, and my alarm. The road was quiet, though before going to sleep I had to pull in the blackout curtains as there was a really strong light outside. The smell, however, was back in the bathroom. Not good. I decided to talk to reception about it.</div>
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I went down to breakfast and took my camera to do the video of the hotel. I managed to get all the footage I needed. I had large breakfast, as I knew that I wouldn’t eat much while exploring the city. I had a couple of böreks, a bit of egg with dill in it, some cucumbers and Turkish sausage. They can’t spell sausage. On the card it’s written like “sousoge”. I had a good laugh about that. I wanted to have some pancakes, but by the time I got to coffee, they were gone. I had an orange with honey instead. I really love the honey here, as it’s one the cone. Lots of sugar, but good for fighting off infections. I was happy to have a quiet breakfast, though the dining room was full of people. I watched them as they ate. Noted how the younger women served the older, the women the men. There were a lot of women dressed traditionally, though some modern ones as well. An older guy sat in front of me, a granddaughter on each side. He didn’t look at them much, for the most part he just stared in front of him. I wondered what he was thinking.</div>
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After breakfast I went back up to the room. I was still pretty tired, but decided to quickly finish up the hotel’s video, and upload it to Youtube. The uploading part didn’t go so well. It was going really slowly, and I wondered if it would upload at all. It didn’t even finish until I left for my excursion.</div>
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Before I left, I talked to reception about the smell in the bathroom. Communicating in English wasn’t bad, but I got the feeling they were having a hard time understanding me.</div>
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I headed from my hotel towards the Mevlana museum. As a preparation for my trip, I had read up a bit on the whole Dervish thing, though I wished I could have done a bit more. Work sometimes gets in the way of plans. So on the way there I came upon this place that looked a bit like a mosque, but not. There was some religious sounding music coming from speakers. I wondered if I could go in. As I was taking pictures, a bride in a white dress stood in the gate, with a white headscarf. She was very pretty. It’s kind of strange, but often when I travel abroad I see brides. There was this one time in Italy, where there was a chapel connected to my hotel, and they actually had a wedding there.</div>
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Then I saw some women dressed like me go inside, so I decided it was okay. It turned out to be some sort of military museum, with scenes of war and old village life inside. It wasn’t very interesting to me, because I didn’t know much about the details of Turkish history. However, the courtyard was very beautiful with a fountain and carved ceilings.</div>
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Finally reached the Mevlana museum. There were a lot of tour groups going in. I saw some ticket offices outside, but they were closed. It’s actually free, so I’m not sure why they had the offices. After the security check I entered a small garden. There was a place to get the audio guide, but I generally don’t like them. Since it’s spring, there were tulips in vibrant colours everywhere. Sadly, some of them were beyond their prime, but others were in full bloom. To the left was the mosque (camii) converted to a museum. Through a narrow gate I entered the inner part and reached the courtyard. Surrounding the mosque was a long building with little rooms that housed artefacts. The doors were very low, and a lot of people kept banging their heads. In most of them there were a couple of items. As they were very crowded, I first looked through the window, and if I liked the room, went in. A few were set up to look like occupied rooms. I wanted to take pictures of course, and video, but two women took forever to stand and observe the room. As I waited, another girl with a camera, of course a lot bigger than mine, stopped next to me. We looked at each other and smiled, probably both thinking how much we just want to get the picture and move on. Once we got inside, I actually stayed longer. Getting out of the room was hard, because some women wanted to crowd inside, and I had to shove them a little to get out of my way.</div>
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There was a fountain and I saw people washing their heads. Mothers their children’s heads, men their own. I didn’t stay to find out why though. I also went into a house labelled as a kitchen, but there was really just a small space set up like that, and the rest was a scene of discussion.<br />
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Next I visited the old mosque itself. It was very crowded and it didn’t help that some people decided to start praying in the middle. I quickly did my video and took some pictures. It was very pretty, actually. I do love the designs in Muslim architecture. The intricate patterns fascinate me. I think that not being able to depict humans in art only benefited them. In European art humans, people are always centre-stage. In Muslim art there is a different picture from afar and another from up close. In one part of the mosque they also used green lighting to a very good affect. There was a place where people could properly pray, and there were several doing just that. Men and women separate, of course.</div>
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Outside I walked around a bit, but there weren’t very interesting things left to see. So I had a tea in the café. I exited the Mevlana museum on the right side, around the place where I went in. There I found a couple of nice shops and a statue of a massive whirling dervish. I wanted to take a picture, but of course the moment I got there a bunch of women also reached it, and wanted to take a picture in every combination imaginable. I also found a shop with some very nice jewellery, and naturally had to buy something. I thoroughly recommend the shop, as the prices were good and the jewellery pretty.</div>
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Leaving the Mevlana site, I headed towards the Alaadin hill. I hoped that there would be a good view from there. The path was easy enough, just walk down the really wide road with the tram going in the middle. I got to a working mosque just when the call for prayer went out. I didn’t see anyone hurrying, but the mosque looked very nice from the outside.</div>
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The road to the Alaading hill is filled by shops and eateries. I stopped at an ice cream shop, and took a video as I got my rose (gül) ice cream. A girl in the shop asked me if I was doing a vlog, and when I said yes, she smiled. I talked to a guy there as well, and he spoke pretty good English, though he couldn’t say “rose” properly, and I had a hard time realising that’s what he said. Now I know the Turkish word though, so I won’t have that problem. Actually, “güzel” means beautiful, so it’s similar. The ice cream was delicious, BTW. A lot thicker than what I normally have. I think it could be made from goat milk, as there was a goat on the sign. Which is very good for us lactose intolerants too. I ate the ice cream all the way to the hill.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBqxO6O4z6w8iMB6aZC8aS5KfB6FPfTQTAAM7lK7uGwd2hf7iT5ae5628QQQPufpVQ7u9LylnzR4EPl-DxRgCL6NG9gTkejlmxlpLgQnlykCKobMUScWQQYmm7PXr0wHPVa8QiabSYuiM/s1600/DSC01821.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBqxO6O4z6w8iMB6aZC8aS5KfB6FPfTQTAAM7lK7uGwd2hf7iT5ae5628QQQPufpVQ7u9LylnzR4EPl-DxRgCL6NG9gTkejlmxlpLgQnlykCKobMUScWQQYmm7PXr0wHPVa8QiabSYuiM/s320/DSC01821.JPG" width="320" /></a>The hill itself isn’t a big deal. You have some restaurants up there, a nice park and a mosque, which is under renovation. They had some nice tulips, just like everywhere else, and I sat down to stare at the city below a bit. That is actually why the hill was built in the first place. Rich people wanted to have a place to look down on people. Kind of twisted, but makes for a nice park. I was thoroughly exhausted by that point, so decided to head back to the hotel.</div>
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The walk was relatively long, and while the hotel is nice, that is a drawback of not staying at a hotel in the city. However, on the way there I took a little detour and discovered a part of the city that is filled with old, two storey buildings and shops. It reminded me of the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. I also passed a very pretty mosque.<br />
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I took a different route to the hotel, and discovered that not too far from it was a part that had old, dilapidated houses. </div>
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Getting back, I wanted to discuss the fact that I reserved a quiet room, and with the busy road outside, the room was anything but. However, the receptionist spoke practically zero English. I ended up using Google translate. Did manage to get a more quiet room and the bathroom was fine there as well, but it was a hard thing to do. I wish the guy from the morning had still been there. Oh well, can’t expect that. I know how difficult it is to do 12-hour shifts on reception.</div>
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In the evening I had dinner and a cocktail at the hotel restaurant. The food was nice, though the cocktail maybe a bit stronger than it should have been. Not too special though. In Turkey, it's very common to have a dish where you get three things on your plate. One is a salad, then a pasta, and the third is a meat. It was tasty.</div>
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I was pretty exhausted, and went to sleep quickly. I hoped that by the next day I would be a lot fresher.</div>
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Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374765705460506021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798423611064486541.post-74462644221110077282018-04-07T23:30:00.000+02:002018-04-08T18:57:26.113+02:00Turkey - The long day of two flights<div style="text-align: justify;">
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I wasn’t looking forward to the travel portion of this trip.
The thing I hate most about travel is waiting. Waiting for your plane at the
airport is the worse. Changing planes and waiting for hours in between is pure
torture.<o:p></o:p></div>
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My day started at home, with trying to get in as much rest
as possible. Then at around 10am it was time to leave my home and head to
Budapest to the airport. Weirdly enough, more times than not, when I have to go
to Ferenc Liszt airport, it rains. It was no different that day. The sky was
covered in thick clouds, and the occasional icy wind ruffled my jacket. Drops
of rain fell enough to annoy, but not to open an actual umbrella. I was glad
when I could finally be in the protection of the airport terminal.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The change at the airport was that the usual wrapping
company had changed to a different one. I heard that it used to be an Italian
company that security wrapped the bags, but their contract had expired. The new
company is Hungarian, supposedly close to the government, but I like to stay
out of politics. The important part is that the fee had gone up. There was a
very long queue for the Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul. It was a mixed
bunch of people, with a group of Koreans, some Americans, and also Hungarians.
My bag was fine weight wise, and we got all the papers for both flights as
well. We opted not to pick the bags up at Istanbul.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Security went surprisingly fast. Costa Coffee had reopened,
but I didn’t have a lot of time to drink my coffee. Ended up finishing it on
the plane.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The plane was not the usual affair. It seemed to be an older
model, no personal screens, a bit less legroom, and I had an aisle seat. I
couldn’t watch the clouds from above, which made me a bit sad, as I really like
to do that. The plane was unusually cold. Without a screen to entertain me, I
decided to study a bit of Turkish. I downloaded a very good book for it
recently, and upon closer inspection I found that it was indeed very useful.
The grammar explanations clear, and the right amount of words to study. I have
been doing Duolingo, and that is very good to learn Turkish, but I prefer
detailed grammatical explanations. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Food was the same as always. A cheese, tomato and olive
sandwich, a chocolate mousse for dessert and I chose tea for drink to warm me
up. I tried to order in Turkish, but I got lost when he asked me if I wanted
sugar. He said it so fast, and all those suffixes made the “<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ş</span>eker” part lost. Oh
well, I’ll get it next time. Not bad for learning on my own.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The plane landed in a sunny Istanbul that had a strange
darkness in the air. I wondered if it was the pollution of that busy city.
However, a chilly wind still snuck under my clothes, rushing me to the terminal
building. The passport control was as busy as always, but kept a steady pace,
and I was quickly processed. To get to the domestic terminal (<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">İç</span> Hatlar Terminali) I
had to exit the International (<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dış</span>
Hatlar Terminali) one, keep going and going, until I got to the equally busy
point of departure for local planes. I was still a bit hungry and got some
fries at a small eatery. Only later did I realise that after the security check
there are a lot better places. Still, there were hours and hours of waiting to
come. I kept myself busy by watching Gundam. I want to finish Iron-Blooded
Orphans season 2 by the time I go to Japan.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We could finally get on the plane. I was in the last row, 22
and next to the window. I was happy about that, because that way I could see
Istanbul at night from above. I decided to do a video as well. As people were
boarding, I watched as the workers were putting the bags into the belly of the
plane. There was one that arrived by an airport car, maybe a late check-in. One
came back on the belt, they put it on the ground next to it. The suitcase just
sat there for a while, and I wondered if the plane was going to run over it.
Then the workers came again, and three of them stood contemplating over it. In
the end they put it back one, and it came with us. Glad that wasn’t my pack.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As I watched the people of the airport bustling about, I
started to think about how much effort it took to run the place. All the
coordination, the organisation that went into making the planes move about as
if to a silent symphony. It still baffles me that these steel birds can leave
the ground carrying tons of weight through the air. I know that there’s
aerodynamics and all sorts of physics involved, but to me, it’s one of the
wonders of the world. Humans, these highly evolved apes are capable of such
wonders. It’s a sad thing that we can turn our minds to destruction as well.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I wasn’t lost in my musings enough to not notice when the
plane finally got into position to take off. I happily recorded it all, and
kept my eyes glued to the twinkling lights. Sadly, it wasn’t perfect, as there
were some clouds. Even through them, I could marvel at the different shapes the
lights gave the fantastic new buildings, the boats floating in the sea as
tealights on a pond.<o:p></o:p></div>
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When I stopped the camera, we passed through a thick cloud
to gain altitude, and the plane was thrown about a bit. One rather large bump
gave me such a fright – I hate turbulence to begin with -, that I gave out a
little scream. Of course, everyone looked at me, and I laughed it off. Don’t
ever scare me, seriously. I’m a screamer.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We got the usual sandwich, but no chocolate this time. <span style="font-family: "segoe ui emoji" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-char-type: symbol-ext; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-symbol-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";">☹</span> The only had orange juice (portakal suyu). On the
way the sky cleared, and there were small settlements everywhere. From above
they were campsites warding off the night with fire. Then a bigger stretch of
lights arrived under us, and I knew we have arrived to Konya. It didn’t look
all that big though. Supposedly, it has as many inhabitants as Budapest, but it
looked a lot smaller.<o:p></o:p><br />
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I took my camera out to shoot the landing, and then we
taxied for some time. The airport felt huge, or they just put the landing strip
too far. As a domestic arrival, there was no security check, and we just went
straight to the bags. We waited for a while at the wrong belt, and then the
other belt finished without our luggage. Some other people were also looking
around perplexed. An employee came and started rattling something off in
Turkish. Now I may know a few words, but it wasn’t enough. So I asked him to
say it in English, and he managed to get out that transfer luggage arrived at a
different section of the airport. There was my bag! Such a relief! We got a
taxi to the hotel, and I checked on my phone if he was taking us on the short
route. He was, good job! The only problem was that the car smelled so strongly
of smoke, I kept the window open all the way. I’m getting really intolerant to
the smell.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Arrived to the hotel, and of course check-in was a drag. The
guy saw two people in both rooms in the reservation. I made it myself, so I
know there was only one. My name wasn’t anywhere, when I did put it down in the
system. We also asked if the rooms could be on a higher floor, but higher
floors are smoking.</div>
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When I finally got into my room, I was ready to hit the hay,
but at first I wanted to make the room video. Overall, I quite liked the room,
even though it wasn’t quiet like we asked, overlooking a busy road. The
bathroom had a sewage smell, and the fan in there was loud, as per usual. The
floors around the edges not as clean as they should be. The TV all in Turkish. However,
at least the bed was comfy. I finished up some things and went to sleep fairly
quickly. I did wake up at night a couple of times as I often do when sleeping
in a new place.</div>
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Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374765705460506021noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798423611064486541.post-9637592726708047332018-03-17T21:23:00.000+01:002018-03-18T21:25:04.190+01:00Italy - From Agrate Brianza to Budapest<div style="text-align: justify;">
The day started early, as the flight was in the morning, though thankfully not at dawn. When my alarm went off I could hear rain. Typical, as I often have rain on the day of my flight back to Hungary. As if the weather itself knew how much I like living there and tried to discourage me from going back. I quickly packed together my things, checked the drawers for any leftovers, and went down for breakfast. So far, the room had always been quite full when I went down, and therefore I hadn’t had the chance to make the breakfast video. Now I was determined and as there were only few people, I did finally succeed.</div>
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We didn’t get to leave the hotel at the time when we were supposed to, as the receptionist had a problem making out the bill! She had to call someone. She was probably very new, and very green. I’m not sure why we couldn’t do it the night before, but the receptionist then said she could only do it in the morning. When I was a receptionist I could, so either they don’t have a very good software, or just don’t know how to.</div>
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The rain was still pouring, but we quickly got to the airport in Bergamo. The Italian obsession with signs came in handy as it was very clear all the way how to get to where we needed to leave the car.</div>
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Checking in the luggage went smoothly. Also, security went very fast. There were lots of people, so I was afraid that it would take long, but they kept us moving. There was a stag and hen party as well, with the groom in blindfolds. He probably was going to be surprised as to where he went.</div>
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I got some water and a quick espresso, which I ordered in Italian. The woman said the amount I had to pay in English, which was welcomed as I’m still not doing well with numbers in Italian. I’ve been trying to practise, but for some reason I have this problem with every language. Sometimes even in Hungarian. I’m fine if I see it written down, but spoken…</div>
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By the time I had my coffee it was time to get in line for boarding. I looked out, and the plane was nowhere to be seen. It’s quite common on these budget airlines like Ryanair, that they start the boarding process before the plane arrives, and everyone stands in line for at least half an hour, occasionally two hours, without any place to go to. Since you also have to go to these planes on foot, you often stand outside for a long time, even in the rain. So always come prepared for outside weather, and clear your bladder before standing in the line to board. We did 30 minutes in the staircase to go outside this time. </div>
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I had an aisle seat, so that wasn’t so bad. The guy next to me had to have both his elbows on the armrest, so I kept nudging him. He only realised halfway to Budapest that his elbow was in my arm. I saw that he was looking at some guidebooks to Budapest, so I asked him if he spoke English, and if I can give him some local information. We ended up talking about Italy and Hungary for the rest of the trip.</div>
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In Budapest, of course, it was freezing and raining. As per usual. </div>
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Once home, I wrote my reviews for the hotel and restaurant, and also did the video.</div>
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Reviews:</h3>
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<a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g1423538-d2222895-Reviews-Hotel_ibis_Styles_Milano_Agrate_Brianza-Agrate_Brianza_Province_of_Monza_and_Brianza_.html" target="_blank">Hotel ibis Styles Milano Agrate Brianza</a></h4>
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This hotel is located in an office district, technically between Agrate Brianza and Monza. It’s mostly for business people, who come for meetings. It’s also not far from Milan, so if you rent a car, this can be a convenient hotel for you, if that’s where you want to see things. </div>
<div>
The hotel is very modern, like all Ibis hotels. Inside the rooms though you can see some of the ware and tare, so it has obviously been around a bit. The lobby is nice, you have the tea / coffee there and a small bar. The receptionists were for the most part okay, but Francesca was great. She was often in the afternoon shift and spoke English really well. Travellers should note that if you need an invoice, it has to be done in the morning of check-out. I’m not sure why, because the program I used could do an invoice at any time.</div>
<div>
The room that I had in the hotel was accessible. Reserved this, because it’s a bit cheaper than the normal kind. This had a few good and bad sides. Good, because it’s a bit bigger, with more room to move around, also bigger bathroom. I do also like a higher toilet and the railings, as I have some problems with my knees. The shower was okay, though the water did spray out a lot. The drawback was that the room was right next to the elevators, and all hours of the day I could hear them going up and down.</div>
<div>
In general, the room had some storage, though not too much, but that was fine. The desk only had one plug. There was also a plug on either side of the bed. The bed was very comfortable, though only two pillows. The TV was fixed to the wall, not smart, but the language could be adjusted to the programming, and also had such information as weather. The wifi was not strong in the room. In other places in the hotel it was a lot stronger, so I don’t know if it’s due to the location of the room, or the 5th floor. The bathroom had lots of towels, a hairdryer, but soap fixed to the wall in both the shower and the basin. Don’t even dream about a magnifying mirror, but there was some extra lighting. There was very little storage space around the basin. Not sure if it’s because of the accessible room, or that’s normal for the hotel. What was weird was that there was no soap by the bidet. The most annoying thing about the room was a constant mechanical sound. I’m thinking it’s the vents, but I’m very sensitive to constant sounds, and the low lever humming was really disturbing.</div>
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Breakfast was nice. It’s an Ibis Styles hotel, so there was more on offer than the regular Ibis. It was pretty good, and I had no complaints. Maybe the only thing that I missed was that there were no vegetables most of the time, other than fried tomatoes. It could be an Italian thing. Anyway, you can see more about it in my video.</div>
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There’s also a small gym. Most of the time it was empty, so that was pretty good. The problem that I saw there was that there were no dumbbells under 4 kg. That’s very male centred. I did switch over to the big machine, but I had to take some time to figure it out.</div>
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The hotel also has a restaurant, but that wasn’t open on a Friday night. I guess most of their guests come on weekdays, but I wish that would have been more obvious. The hotel is in the middle of nowhere practically. There was a nice little pizzeria on the opposite side of the road in the building with a few shops, so at least we didn’t have to drive into town. My review of the hotel’s restaurant is separate.</div>
<div>
Overall, a comfortable hotel, but I wish that the vents didn’t hum in the background. It does need some cosmetic refurb in the rooms, because I did see some rust here and there. Not a bad choice though in the area.</div>
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<a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g1423538-d1910493-Reviews-La_Quolina-Agrate_Brianza_Province_of_Monza_and_Brianza_Lombardy.html" target="_blank">La Quolina</a></h4>
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This restaurant is part of the Ibis Styles hotel in Agrate Brianza. It’s mostly aimed at the surrounding offices. The prices are moderate and they also offer a lunch and dinner menu. For me, the portions were a bit large, but that was fine. </div>
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The inside of the restaurant is modern, and relaxed. The service is efficient. I saw some reviews complain about English, and it was limited, but the menu does have everything in English as well. If you don’t speak Italian, use Google translate or just point. There is strong wifi.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXTgs3r-rIAnwqdI03nQn0qcnJvtCkO_b0Ue68B_uTmb4R3bJS-rFdXlPY-xD3axtRGRouPgmxtmhFCw7jccZ608n6ku1kuNqfWNUU4vPams7ZYEeI-eE4B760HaiO0GJyxjpF7P8_7fE/s1600/DSC01450.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXTgs3r-rIAnwqdI03nQn0qcnJvtCkO_b0Ue68B_uTmb4R3bJS-rFdXlPY-xD3axtRGRouPgmxtmhFCw7jccZ608n6ku1kuNqfWNUU4vPams7ZYEeI-eE4B760HaiO0GJyxjpF7P8_7fE/s320/DSC01450.JPG" width="320" /></a>The food was great. I ate there four nights, so I got to taste a few things. Spaghetti was very nice. The fish in salt was worth the wait. It was delicate. Though frankly, maybe a bit too simple for me, I generally eat more spicy foods. I loved the steak, though the eggplant was a bit weird with it, but I rolled with it. The veal liver was fabulous! It was on the dinner menu, and I loved it so much. Could eat it every week. Wouldn’t mind the recipe. 😉 They also had a nice Italian beer on tap, and the house wine was good as well.</div>
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Overall, very nice little restaurant. Not overly complicated. It’s the kind of place where you go and be comfortable with your friends, or even go alone and eat with your laptop. However, it wasn’t open on Friday, probably because it’s mainly for the office crowds. I was sad I couldn’t eat there on my last night.</div>
Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374765705460506021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798423611064486541.post-58688081721600412502018-03-16T21:00:00.000+01:002018-03-17T06:50:36.953+01:00Italy - Milan<div style="text-align: justify;">
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I've been here since Monday, but it's been all work. :( Though doing a fare had been kind of fun, but since I also have a cooking blog, I would obviously rather attend a fare of kitchen or cooking related things, than building related ones.</div>
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However, today was finally fun. I started the morning the usual way. I dragged myself out of my really comfy bed, convincing myself that working out is a good way to start a day. It is, but if I could get away with it, I'd rather snuggle under the covers and watch TV, than lift weights. However, my body needs weights more than a bed, so working out it was.</div>
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After a shower, I went down to breakfast. It was interesting, as it was really busy. They do have good breakfast here. I saw some black men in those dress things. There's probably a proper name for them, but oh well. I'm not sure if I've seen people dressed like that in real life, so I tried not to stare. Funny thing, there was a kind of single people's corner where I sat down, as pretty much everyone sat alone.</div>
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So finally, we were off to Milan! It's not that hard to get to in a car. In Milan there is much need for GPS, as a lot of streets are one way. It can also sometimes get confusing, and you may end up on the tram lane. It's more common than you'd think. We quickly found a car park not too far from the Duomo. A few turns, and there it was. It's massive. Sadly, we couldn't get in, as there were so many people, and such a long line, I just didn't want to spend hours standing there. At least I have a reason to go to Milan again.</div>
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I did go to the Gallery, which is a kind of posh mall. I wanted to take a picture of this Prada window display, but there was a weird man standing in front of it. He was looking down in front of himself, and his hand was moving in his pocket. Thoroughly grossed out, I went to take pictures of other things and return to the window once he was gone.</div>
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Next was the square where the Scala is. In front there is a statue of Leonardo. We went into the Scala museum, but they said they were having a rehearsal, so come back between 4-5pm. Okay, plenty more to see. So on the list next was the Sforza castle.</div>
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It's a nice walk there. You take Via Dante, which is part pedestrian. Of course, in front there are plenty of people selling roses, selfie sticks, the usual. I wonder if anyone actually buys. They sometimes annoy me.<br />
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So we checked out the castle. Pretty cool, though only checked out one museum. There are actually several, but frankly, unless a museum has something really cool or special, they just blend together after a while. This one didn't prove to be that special, though it did have some lovely things that you can see in the video.</div>
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Afterwards we had a walk in the park. It was such a lovely, sunny day, people were laying about everywhere. I loved the little lake with all the birds and turtles. So we walked all the way to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porta_Sempione" target="_blank">Arco della Pace</a>. I went picture crazy on it. A really nice couple asked me to take some pictures, and they really seemed to love what I did. I sometimes wish I had models to take fun pictures of.</div>
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We started back to the Scala, but stopped for a sandwich on the way. There was a fun park in the actual park, and at the house of monsters ride the woman who sold the tickets looked just like the zombies.<br />
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We hurried back to the Scala. Sadly, the theatre itself was still a bit dark, but very pretty. I wish I could go to an opera there. I also checked out the museum portion. It was very nice, with a special exhibition on Maria Callas. Her dresses were so tiny! I also took a picture of a wonderful bust of Caruso. Oh, and they had figurines of the old theatre characters. Pierrot and Pierretta, Scaramouche. I know them from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scaramouche_(novel)" target="_blank">Rafael Sabatini's Scaramouche novel</a>. Which, by the way, is a fun novel that is very underappreciated. The movie is also great.</div>
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Anyway, afterwards we started back to the Duomo. I did the spin on your heel thing in the Gallery. I also went inside of a very pretty bookshop, where I could take pictures of the Gallery from the upper floor. The Duomo ticket office was closed, sadly. By then, I was exhausted and ready to return to the hotel. The day was great, but the pace was a bit forced. The bottom of my feet was feeling it.</div>
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Overall, I enjoyed Milan a lot. It's a very nice Italian city, with a good feel to it. Still, Florence stays my favourite Italian city, with Lucca a close second.<br />
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Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374765705460506021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798423611064486541.post-36431574395808110782018-03-13T10:12:00.000+01:002018-03-18T20:46:52.924+01:00Italy - Agrate Brianza<div style="text-align: justify;">
My journey took me to Italy now, though it's projected to be mostly of work.</div>
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It started at Budapest Airport, as per usual. Ryanair is my least favourite airline, but they are the only ones who go to Northern Italy directly from Budapest. They have messed around with their price settings, so it got increasingly complicated. We got priority boarding just to make sure that the laptop wouldn't end up in cargo. We had the big bag wrapped up, to prevent theft. Budapest Airport has been in the news a lot lately, because the steeling got out of hand. The rule had always been that you only put clothing and toiletries in what you check in, but it's been getting international attention just how bad the thefts had got. Hence more people are opting to get things wrapped.</div>
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I also tested my new laptop backpack. I never got the point of laptop bags that you carried on your side. Especially for women, laptops can get heavy. I've had pain in my waist because of heavy bags, so I decided to get a backpack for my work laptop. I got a Samsonite one, and it was well worth the higher price. I could feel my spine being supported much better.</div>
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My usual routine at the airport was interrupted by Costa Coffee being closed. I'm lactose intolerant, so I always have to pay attention that they have my milk where I get my coffee. Luckily, at <a href="https://www.bud.hu/en/passengers/shopping_and_passenger_experience/at_the_airport/restaurants/upper_crust.html" target="_blank">Upper Crust</a> they had my milk, and even caramel coffee, so I was happy. Good coffee too, I recommend it.</div>
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As per usual, the boarding gate for the Ryanair plane was in a little building outside the airport building. We went there and waited, and waited. They only started to let us into the plane around the time when we were supposed to take off. I guess that's not so bad.</div>
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My seat was an isle seat, so sadly I couldn't take pictures. I got my laptop out and watched a few episodes of Iron-Blooded Orphans. I want to watch more Gundam until I go to Japan, because I want to check out the Gundam café in Tokyo. What was annoying was the captain of the plane. When he spoke, you couldn't tell if it was Italian or English most of the time. He was speaking so fast, I don't think he breathed. The speakers were extra loud too. I was just glad it was a short flight.</div>
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We arrived to Bergamo airport, which is sort of near Milan. There are lots of buses going to Milan, so if you arrive to that airport, don't worry. I'm sure they also have a price competition going on. We got our rental car, and were off to Agrate Brianza, where the hotel is. Sort of.</div>
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On the way we stopped at a local store and got some food and drinks. Nothing special, but I usually get Yoya drinks here, which are very nice.</div>
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Checking into the hotel - Hotel Ibis Styles Agrate Brianza - went very smoothly. The receptionist spoke really good English, she didn't even have the usual Italian accent. Very nice woman too.</div>
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I got an accessible room, because they're cheaper. For more on the room, check out my video. What I don't talk about on there is that the bed is very comfortable. The water pressure in the shower is okay, could be stronger. The hand-shower was also so high up, it was a bit difficult to reach. Good thing I'm not in a wheelchair. The annoying thing is that since the room is right next to the lift, I can hear it going up and down all the time. There is also an electric buzzing in the room, and so I have to have something on all the time to make a sound barrier. They often have this sound in chain hotels. Why, I have no idea, but it's highly annoying.</div>
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We had dinner in the hotel's restaurant. Kind of late, as my boss usually likes to eat at odd hours. Not very good for my attempts to lose weight. I was pretty tired by then, so of course I made the bad choice of pasta. Bad for my waistline, but it was very good. Perfect sauce. Also had a glass of wine, so by the time I ate it all, I was ready to fall into bed. I did fall asleep quite fast.</div>
Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374765705460506021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5798423611064486541.post-16330197425524766702017-09-22T22:00:00.000+02:002018-03-23T14:23:05.041+01:00Italy - Arriving and from Pisa to Hotel Monteconero<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I had a terribly early flight to Pisa. I’m not a fan of flying at dawn, because I’m not a morning person. If I get up before 6am, I always feel strange all day. An interesting fact, my cousin has a chemical imbalance. She can’t wake up very early, because she can have seizure like symptoms due to a chemical imbalance in her brain while sleeping. I just feel like I’m half sleeping. I also wasn’t happy about the early flight because I had a little cold. For some reason, I keep getting sick just before I go to Italy. I’ve been ill the previous two times as well, but the minute my feet hit Italian soil, I’m cured. Hoped for that this time around as well.</div>
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So, I got my customary Costa coffee after checking in. During the security check, they did some chemical swipe on and in my bag. They’ve never done that before, but it all cleared.</div>
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To get onto the plane, we had to go outside to this container thing. It’s a real drag with budget flights, because they make you go there for boarding, and then you may have to wait for up to an hour in a container that has no toilets, not enough seating, no heating, no cooling. Then you have to walk to the plane. Then there are also those people who don’t pay attention to the directions as to which door they need to take. They get on at the front, and then push their way through all the way to the back. Got a window seat at least. Can’t stand sitting in the middle. Believe me, after all that, even a Ryanair seat feels like heaven, when actually, it’s the lowest end of budget flying.</div>
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The flight was uneventful. The weather was quite clear, and I enjoyed taking lots of pictures and videos. However, at one point there was an interesting reflection on the clouds. I think it came from the plane. It was as if the reflection of the plane was surrounded by a rainbow. I tried to capture it, and I hope I succeeded. </div>
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After landing we got the car. We had to take a small bus to the pick-up site, but luckily it arrived quickly. The sun was shining quite warmly, and I took the opportunity to catch some sun.</div>
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Once we had the little Fiat, we were on our way. We had to cross through the whole peninsula, so even though we had an early flight, it was quite late by the time we got to the hotel. The journey there was fun though. It’s been a while since I’ve actually used one of those car maps to navigate, </div>
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but if I managed to do it at 8, I can sure do it at 35. We stopped a few times on the way. Once for coffee, and also picked up a few food items. Food is so much more expensive here! We also stopped at a small supermarket, and they had the loveliest grapes.<br />
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The hotel check-in went uneventful. I made a video of the hotel. I quite liked the room. It had a fridge, which is not as widespread as you’d hope. However, the real bonus feature of the room was the view. The hotel itself is on top of a hill. Pretty much middle of nowhere. However, when you step out to the balcony, Italian countryside at your feet.</div>
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As the sun was setting, it was getting colder in the room. There was some extra blanket, but I was still getting cold, which really didn’t do much for me already having a cold. So I decided to be the troublesome guest, and go down to ask for a heater. There was a radiator in the room, but of course at the end of September they didn’t switch it on centrally. Sadly, they said that they didn’t have one. I asked them politely, that it would be so nice if they could get me one, because I was afraid that my cold would get worse. Since there was no electric kettle in the room, I couldn’t even make myself a hot tea. In the end, they did get a small heater from somewhere, and I was ever so grateful. I made good use of it right away.</div>
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Review:</h3>
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<a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g608900-d297779-Reviews-Hotel_Monteconero-Sirolo_Province_of_Ancona_Marche.html" target="_blank">Lovely hotel, though some things could be sorted</a></h4>
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This is a lovely hotel high up on a hill. The views are incredible of the sea and the valley below. However, because of this, in bad weather it can be hard to get to.</div>
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The rooms are a bit Spartan. The TV is pretty small, and the channels are in Italian. It's a common problem in Italy. The bed is comfortable. The double bed was two singles pushed together and not locked. I know this can bother some people. There is no tea service, and this is also common in Italy. The bathroom had a shower, and also a bidet. However, airing it out was solved by the window not closing properly, which in the cold could be a problem. Toiletries were bars of soap, shampoo and a cap.</div>
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Breakfast wasn't very big, and they weren't always on top of refill. The view from the breakfast room is beautiful though.</div>
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The receptionists were very helpful, though their English a bit spotty. I had a problem with the temperature being unusually low for September, and also suffering from a cold. They got me a space heater, which helped a lot. I also kept the bathroom door closed. Housekeeping was good, the only thing I would say to the hotel is to do what most hotels do, and only change the towels if they are left on the floor. More economic that way. Also, I kept hanging my towel next to the shower, and they kept putting them back under the sink. I so knew I would forget to hang it before I got in the shower.</div>
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The surrounding area is great for small hikes, but the terrain can be difficult, so best bring proper footwear. Getting a parking spot late in the evening can be difficult, and best done with a smaller car. Not to far by car there is an are with shops for food and the like.</div>
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Overall, nice hotel if you like to be in the middle of nowhere. I don’t know if they close for winter, but possible, since the steep hill must be hard for a lot of cars in the snow. I did enjoy my stay, and would return. Must be great for weddings as well.</div>
Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374765705460506021noreply@blogger.com0