A cup for every occasion, pt. 2½

I loved my IKEA glasses so much that I got a pack of 6 of the shorter variety. They make decent glasses for lattes, water, and even the impromptu beer... I often go to cafes and find them using these glasses, because they are just that awesome.

Autumn leaves

The autumn leaves are long gone, but before they fell, we visited a pond known for it's beautiful reflection of the surrounding leaves.

Notes on Japan, pt. 2

Last time we were in Japan (mostly Tokyo), we were wowed by the efficiency of everything. All things, down to the smallest details, seemed well-thought out and every inconvenience or small discomfort eradicated.

I have some little tidbits about my trip this year that didn't really fit anywhere, just small observations of the place, the trip, and myself.

MORI Building Digital Art Museum

After the adrenaline-fuelled, mad rush for the train we experience yesterday, we were determined to leave a huge window of time to leisurely amble to the train today.

Being the early bird, I crept out early in the morning to take a quick walk to the nearby post box, and was dismayed to realize that the rain was out in full force.

Hot springs of Hakone

Our morning started off early once again; my travel buddies went for breakfast while I stayed to eat my leftover Coco Curry. I was determined to pay a visit to Ippodo again to stock up on more teas for souvenirs, and made my way across the city, with the aim to arrive right at opening.

Bamboo forests, monkey parks, and Shinto shrines

An early morning train ride took us to the outskirts of Kyoto.

The old capital, Kyoto

Another early morning, and another ride on the Shinkansen.

The deer deities of Nara

Nara has long been on my list of must-go places in Japan; I love parks where wild animals are allowed to roam freely, and one of my fellow travel buddies was doubly enthusiastic.

Osaka; the kitchen of Japan

We didn't really get to explore outside of Tokyo last time we visited Japan, so this time we were determined to add a slew of new destinations to our list.

Our first stop was in Osaka; but first, an early breakfast at Sukiya.



After making our way to Tokyo Station through the end of the rush hour craze, exchanging my pass and booking our tickets, we headed to an even-crazier Ekibenya for bentos for our long ride.

Back in Tokyo

The conclusion of our last trip to Asia had us itching for more, but none of us could have guessed that we would reunite in Japan 4.5 years later.