Our last visit to this stretch of East Coast Beach was more than a year ago and last swimming trip was almost a year ago. So, our humans thought it was high time they brought us swimming in the salty sea again. This time round, we had the entire beach to ourselves ... [read more]]]> Our last visit to this stretch of East Coast Beach was more than a year ago and last swimming trip was almost a year ago. So, our humans thought it was high time they brought us swimming in the salty sea again. This time round, we had the entire beach to ourselves – not a single soul in sight!

A view of the beach and boat parking area…

We had loads of fun swimming and playing on the beach…

Cooling off in the water…

Strolling on the beach with our humans…

Exploring the breakwater…

Trying to look like a Baywatch lifeguard…

Drying ourselves on the grassy areas…

And cleaning and preening ourselves…

We ended our fun-filled trip to the beach with lunch at The Beach Hut, a pet friendly restaurant-bar at Marine Cove. Well, our humans had lunch and we got to eat all the pork rib bones when they were done.

We’ve heard so much about the food at Changi Village and decided to try it out for ourselves. We initially wanted to try the famous Nasi Lemak, but the queue was too long. And since we had a craving for spice, we headed for the stall that said “Ayam Penyet Sujana – The ... [read more]]]> We’ve heard so much about the food at Changi Village and decided to try it out for ourselves. We initially wanted to try the famous Nasi Lemak, but the queue was too long. And since we had a craving for spice, we headed for the stall that said “Ayam Penyet Sujana – The Best In Changi Village”.

I was sorely dissapointed with our Ayam Penyet ($4). The chicken was not crispy enough, and the chilli was too sweet and not very spicey at all. The beans, tempeh, and toufu that was supposed to be on the side were missing totally. A consolation though – the rice was fluffy and buttery and was quite nice to have on it’s own without the chilli.

I give it 4.5 stars out of 10 – Food: 4/10. Service: 7/10. Ambience: 1/10. Value for money: 6/10. Well, maybe next time we’ll try Sri Bistari Changi Village, supposedly the best ayam penyet of the east.

I still remember lining up for ages at Mcdonald’s 11 years ago for a happy meal just to get a 1999 SesameStreet MiniBean Pal. I’m now letting go of them (quite unwillingly) for $2.50 a piece or $50 for all 23 pieces in the collection. I would prefer that they all ... [read more]]]> I still remember lining up for ages at Mcdonald’s 11 years ago for a happy meal just to get a 1999 SesameStreet MiniBean Pal. I’m now letting go of them (quite unwillingly) for $2.50 a piece or $50 for all 23 pieces in the collection. I would prefer that they all stay together. 

All Mini Bean Pals come with their original fun fact tag with birthday, first appeareance, likes, etc, attached. Mini Bean Pals do not come in plastic wrapping. If you’re interested to adopt them into your home, drop me an email at joycelyn.loh[at]gmail.com!

The Sunset Grill & Pub is located at the Republic of Singapore Flying Club at Building 140-B, Piccadilly, Seletar Airbase, East Camp. It opens daily at 4pm, last order at 9.30pm, and is closed on Tuesdays.

Our first visit experience at The Sunset Grill & Pub on 9th May 2008 was quite ... [read more]]]> The Sunset Grill & Pub is located at the Republic of Singapore Flying Club at Building 140-B, Piccadilly, Seletar Airbase, East Camp. It opens daily at 4pm, last order at 9.30pm, and is closed on Tuesdays.

Our first visit experience at The Sunset Grill & Pub on 9th May 2008 was quite a good one. Here’s what we had…

The buffalo wings are their signature dish – it’s coated with flour and then deep fried. They throw in the chilli before serving. You can choose a hotness scale from #01 to #10, we wanted to be slightly adventurous and ordered a #04 and it was bloody hot! We wondered how spicy the #10 was.

Palani had the mini burgers that were surprisingly delicious. The proportion of bun, patty, and cheese was just right. You can choose between beef and mutton and each burger was the size of my fist. The potion is quite large for one person and would make as a great dish to share with everyone at the table as a side dish or snack.

Scott with his striploin steak. We shared the dish and I found the steak to be a little tough and too done for my taste. It reminded me somewhat of coffeeshop steak. The gravy was OK though.

Jenny with her beef lasagna. I had a bite of it and it was quite good. Nice and cheesy, just the way I like it. The potion size was just right and the dish was piping hot when it arrived.

I had the pan friend (dory) fish which was average tasting. The fish was not seasoned well and was rather bland. It tasted a little like frozen fish and underseasoned veggies. The baked potato was alright though. Not something I would order again.

We also had 3 jugs of beer which was very refreshing and went well with the super hot buffalo wings! Total bill came up to about $150 for food and beer for the four of us - A tad on the high side but worth the novelty of dining by planes, good company of friends, and great conversation.

We revisited The Sunset Grill & Pub on 14th August 2010 with a much bigger group (13 of us in total). I was quite impressed with the service tonight – although we were seated outside, the helpful staff promptly gave us a table indoors when it started to drizzle. It was no easy feat to move such a huge group indoors as their indoor space was quite limited. Many thanks to YL for the photos!

This time round we went for #02 spice level buffalo wings which were a little mild. We’ve been here quite a number of times over the years and found that the hotness levels are not very consistant. Sometimes, Level #02 is hotter than level #03.

The deep fried mushrooms were really good – battered button mushrooms marinated in beer! Need I say more? They were crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Best part of this dish is that it’s not oily although it’s deep fried. Absolutely delicious and a must try.

The calamari rings were also a great addition to our already very full table. It’s not overly chewy and very well seasoned. A squeeze of lemon juice made them perfect.

This time round, the bill came up to about $35 per person for a few helpings of buffalo wings, mini burgers, deep fried mushrooms, calamari rings, and quite a few jugs of beer (I lost count).

All-in-all I give it 6.6 stars out of 10 – Food: 7/10. Ambience: 5/10. Service: 8/10.  A good venue to just hang out with friends over drinks and small bites, and watch the occational plan land or take off at the airstrip next door.

In 1986, a group of avid birdwatchers from the then Malayan Nature Society (Singapore Branch) stumbled upon this ecological jewel, and subsequently wrote a proposal to the government for its conservation. The 87 ha wetland site was consequently designated as a nature park in 1989.

A baby monitor lizard…

Growing up to 2 ... [read more]]]> In 1986, a group of avid birdwatchers from the then Malayan Nature Society (Singapore Branch) stumbled upon this ecological jewel, and subsequently wrote a proposal to the government for its conservation. The 87 ha wetland site was consequently designated as a nature park in 1989.

A baby monitor lizard…

Growing up to 2 metres, the Monitor Lizard is the largest lizard found in Singapore. This creature can often be seen sun-bathing on the walking routes! Fear not, as when disturbed, it will clumsily escape into the undergrowth or water. It is an excellent swimmer, living near water where it scavenges.

Two monitor lizards fighting over territory.

The then Parks & Recreation Department, a precursor to the National Parks Board, undertook the development of Sungei Buloh, in consultation with experts in the field, notably, the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust from the United Kingdom and Worldwide Fund for Nature. On 6 Dec 1993, Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong officially opened the Nature Park.

These agile Plantain Squirrels are a beautiful greyish brown, with a chestnut belly and a black-and-white line between the two. In fact, their genus name Callosciurus means Beautiful Squirrels and the genus includes some of the most colourful mammals.

Over the years, the unique place that is Sungei Buloh charmed people from all strata of society to support its cause. It welcomed its 100,000th visitor in 1994. In 1997, the Park found its corporate sponsor in HSBC, which set up the Sungei Buloh Education Fund in support of its nature outreach programmes. On 10 November, 2001, National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan announced that Sungei Buloh would be one of two parks to be gazetted as Nature Reserves. On 1 Jan 2002, 130-ha of Sungei Buloh was officially gazetted as a nature reserve and renamed as Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve to better reflect its status.

Estuarine crocodiles are known to inhabit the waters of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. Crocodile warning signs have been posted at various parts of the Reserve where they are most often spotted. We heard some baby crocs crying while passing by this freshwater pond and could not spot any.

We did however see some Diamondback terrapins swmming just below the surface of the water. The species live on a diet of mollusks, fiddler crabs, and occasionally small fish and is named for the diamond pattern on top of its shell, but the overall pattern and coloration varies greatly by species. Their shell coloring can vary from browns to greys, and their body color can be grey, brown, yellow, or white.

Broad-Nose Halfbeaks belong to the Family Hemiramphidae. These stick-like fishes are commonly encountered on many of our shores. They swim at the water surface, often quite actively at night. Small ones may be mistaken for floating twigs or other bits of flotsam.

Mangroves exist in the transient world of land and sea having to endure the relentless rhythm of the tides. Life at land’s end is harsh, yet many have triumphed over the adverse environment with each inhabitant playing a role in making the ecosystem a viable and dynamic one. Seedlings fall on unstable mud and soon, there is a forest of mangroves. A walk along the boardwalk leads you through this “sea of trees” and into a whole new world.

The Rhizophora sp. has roots that branch from trunks like stilts. This helps to prop up the tree in the soft mud so that it will not topple with the ebbing and rising tide.

The pencil-like roots of the Avicennia sp or pneumatophores branched upwards from the main horizontal roots that grow below the soil. These roots allow the absorption of atmospheric oxygen through specialized root cells known as lenticels. This adaptation is important, as the mud that the mangrove trees grow is extremely low in oxygen.

The Common Nerita is a commonly seen throughout the mangroves in the reserve. It is herbivorous, grazing on algae. During high tide it can be seen on tree trunks and various structures.

The Mudskipper is an amazing fish of the swamp. Unlike most fishes, its protruding eyes stick out of the water and enable it to observe it’s surrounding. It has modified fins that help propel it out of water and across the mudflats.

We spotted this fish but have no idea what kind of fish it is. Any ideas?

During high tide, these crabs climb out of the water to escape predation. They form an important component of the ecosystem by feeding on fallen mangrove leaves that do not decompose easily. This helps in the breakdown of the mangrove leaves into nutrients for the mangrove plants.

Mangrove mud is often honeycombed with a network of interconnecting passages, occupied by a population of mud crabs. The burrows of the tunnelling mud crabs are the primary sites for both the export of ammonium and the removal of nitrogen from the mangrove ecosystem. Because the bacteria in the burrow wall rapidly consume the oxygen entering from the burrow water, the oxic mud layer around the burrow is usually much thinner than the oxic layer at the visible mud surface.

Observation hides in the reserve are scattered all over the reserve and are for the human visitors to rest and observe the surrounding flora and fauna away from the sight of the reserve’s resident and migratory animals and birds.

Waders or shorebirds are so-called because they wade in the shallow water in search of food. Plovers and sandpipers are common waders found in the reserve. With their different bill length and feeding habits, they are able to tap on different food sources found in the mudflats. This enables them to co-exist in the same habitat.

Egrets at the reserve are white and more slender than herons in appearance. They are frequent visitors during the migratory season. The Little Egret is often seen dashing about, chasing after its prey in the shallows.

Aerie or eyrie means a nest of a bird of prey built high up above ground.The 18-m tall tower hide is so called as it offers panoramic view of the wetland reserve. We only managed to cover route 1 today, but will definately be back to check out routes 2 and 3 next time we visit.

Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve was recognized as a site of international importance for migratory birds with Wetlands International presenting the reserve a certificate to mark its formal entry into the East Asian Australasian Shorebird Site Network, which include Australia’s Kakadu National Park, China’s Mai Po and Japan’s Yatsu Tidal Flats. Sungei Buloh became Singapore’s first ASEAN Heritage Park in 2003. More information about Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve at www.sbwr.org.sg.

Our humans brought us to AMK Town Garden West for our evening walk today instead of our same old round the block walk or run at the cemetary.  The bigger of the two town parks in Ang Mo Kio, this park was built on a hillock. A 120-step staircase will take ... [read more]]]> Our humans brought us to AMK Town Garden West for our evening walk today instead of our same old round the block walk or run at the cemetary.  The bigger of the two town parks in Ang Mo Kio, this park was built on a hillock. A 120-step staircase will take you to a pergola and plaza from where you can view the lush and spreading greenery.

Although the area is supposed to be a jogging track, footpaths meandering through the forest and flowing with the terrain will be a challenge for recreational runners. But it’s no problem at all for us four-leggeds!

A landscaped pond near to the entrance of the park is another cosy place for you to sit back and relax. Those are lotus or Nelumbo nucifera sticking out of the water. (Photo credits for lotus pond - tidechaser.blogspot.com).

We stopped at the amphitheater at the highest point of the park, for a break and a drink of water. We also rolled around the newly-cut grass which smelled heavenly! It was an excuse for our humans to rest too.

A view of the open field from the amphitheater…

On our way back to the car, we saw these cute egg-heads on tips of plants. Egg shells are 93 percent calcium carbonate and contain other elements like nitrogen that are beneficial to plants. We know that we can compost eggs shells or add them directly to the soil. But our humans are still at a loss about how they benefit the plant when placed at the tip of their leaves – can anyone enlighten us?

There were also lots of Cannonball Trees (Couroupita guianensis) all over the park. The tree gets its common name from the large, spherical fruits it produces. The fruit falls from the tree and cracks open when it hits the ground when mature, often causing the sound of a small explosion and the fruit emits an unpleasant aroma when exposed to the air.

One last drink of water before heading back to the car…

Showing off our war paints from rolling around in the grass…

Goodbye AMK Town Garden West, we will definately be back for another run. As we left, our humans managed to get a beautiful silhouette shot of a palm tree lined avenue from the bottom of the stairs – thanks mister sun! If you wish to visit the park, it’s located opposite Ang Mo Kio Town Library, along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6.

We went to Por Jai Authentic Thai Restaurant (Serangoon Garden Branch) to try out their weekday set lunch. For just $6.50, you get a choice of a main meal, side dish, and hot/cold drink. If you are a desert person, you can add $1 for either red ruby or tapioca with ... [read more]]]> We went to Por Jai Authentic Thai Restaurant (Serangoon Garden Branch) to try out their weekday set lunch. For just $6.50, you get a choice of a main meal, side dish, and hot/cold drink. If you are a desert person, you can add $1 for either red ruby or tapioca with coconut milk.

Main: Phad Thai – I’m not a big fan of Phad Thai but thought that this was not a bad dish, the flat rice noodles were perfectly done and the dish was seasoned nicely. Authentic? Yes! Value for money? Not really. I thought that they could have served it with a little more prawns or seafood. Note: the egg you see in the photo does not come with this dish.

Main: Black Pepper Beef with rice – A filling meal of stir fried beef with black pepper sauce, ginger, and spring onions. Very tasty dish packed with flavour and the gravy complimented the rice and fried egg nicely. I would have preferred if it came with some vegetables on the side.

Side: Papaya Salad (top) and Mango Salad (bottom) – A refreshing salad of unripe mango/papaya, with onions, chilli and a spicy-sour dressing. Both side dishes were great but I couldn’t really tell one from the other as they both tasted almost identical.

Side: Tom Yam Soup – Hot, sour, and a little sweet all at the same time! My choice side dish between the three we tried. Authentic and super delicious, the spicy seafood soup comes with prawns, squid, and fish.

Desert: Tapioca with coconut milk – My favourite thai desert! However, I found this dish a somewhat disappointing. The tapioca was a little hard and under-ripe and not as mushy as I would like.

Desert: Red Ruby - It didn’t look anything like the photo in the menu. The waterchestnuts in gelatine were nice and crunchy but the ice didn’t come  shaved making it slightly annoying to eat. It is however a nice refreshing dish after a full meal.

I give it 7 stars out of 10 – Food: 8/10. Ambience: 8/10. Service: 5/10. We had made a reservation for 30 people to take up the back half of the restaurant, but they forgot our reservation and we ended up having to be seated saperately scattered all over the restaurant. Service staff and also not very helpful with explaining the dishes, perhaps because of the crowd, but it’s no excuse.

Nara

Nara Deer Park – home to thousands of deer that roam freely. Deer that you can feed (and then be attacked by once you run out of food). These are known as sika deer, and are known as messengers of the gods according to the Shinto religion. The park is also ... [read more]]]> Nara

Nara Deer Park – home to thousands of deer that roam freely. Deer that you can feed (and then be attacked by once you run out of food). These are known as sika deer, and are known as messengers of the gods according to the Shinto religion. The park is also home to many ponds, restaurants, street food stands, and forested walking paths.

Todaiji Temple of Daibutsu – A temple complex in the city of Nara in Nara Prefecture, was built in the year 743. By virtue of being one of the major historical temples in Japan, Todaiji Temple also possesses many valuable cultural artifacts. More than 20 of these Buddhist statues and other works of art are National Treasures. The repository for them, Shosoin, lives up its name of the Treasure House of the World.

Starving Buddha – Binzuru or his holier name Pindola Bharadvaja. Pindola is one of sixteen arahats who were disciples of the buddha. Pindola is said to be a master of occult powers. It is commonly believed in Japan that if a person rubs a part of the image or statue of Binzuru and then rubs the corresponding part of his own body, his ailment there will disappear. His hand signals “do not fear”. Pindola sits outside the entrance to the Great Hall.

The largest bronze Buddha structure in Japan within the serenity of Nara Deer Park.

The structure of the Great Hall is based on a massive wooden latticework of support pillars (hashira) and horizontal connectors of two types: beams and purlins. Struts and rafters are laid on the beams and purlins to support the roof. In the picture, you see me partake of a tradition, where we will obtain enlightenment just by crawling through a very tiny hole carved into the base of one of the pillars.

Kyoto

Kiyomizu Temple – Known more fully as Otowa-san Kiyomizu-dera is an independent Buddhist temple. The temple dates back to 798, and its present buildings were constructed in 1633 during a restoration. Not one nail is used in the whole temple. It takes its name from the waterfall within the complex, which runs off the nearby hills. Kiyomizu means clear water, or pure water. In addition to being a World Heritage Site, Kiyomizu was recently submitted as a candidate as a New Seven Wonders of the World.

We washed our hands at the dragons mouth before entering the temple.

You can purchase these little wooden plaques / tablets and write your wish or prayer on it, then hang it up within the temple.

The temple complex includes several other shrines, among them the Jishu Shrine, dedicated to Ōkuninushi, a god of love and “good matches”. Jishu Shrine possesses a pair of “love stones” placed 18 meters apart, which lonely visitors can try to walk between with their eyes closed.

This looks like a shrine dedicated to fox spirits.

The main hall is built out onto pillars. The effect is that of a deck reaching out from the foot of the mountain. The most well-known aspect of Kiyomzu dera is the huge veranda of the main hall. It juts out on wooden pillars and is an impressive site.

After visiting the temple, we wandered around Sannenzaka, a small shopping street lined with traditional shops and wooden houses. We also stopped here for a Tonkatsu (deep fried pork cutlets) lunch.

Kobe

Kobe Chinatown – Also known as Nankinmachi and Harbourland, is a rather small chinatown, but offers a nice atmosphere and some good food. Nankinmachi developed as the residential area of Chinese merchants, who settled in Kobe after the city’s port had been opened to foreign trade in 1868.

Kobe Motomachi – located adjacent to Kobe Chinatown, with Daimaru department store and several boutiques, as well as a mile-long covered shopping street. It is also well known in Japan for its cosmopolitan atmosphere, and foreign influence, similar to the Motomachi area in Yokohama, Ginza in Tokyo and Shinsaibashi in Osaka.

We had some extra time so decided to check out the food hall at Daimaru. The variety of food there is astonishing, from sushi, to tempura, to cookies, to cakes, to fruit jelly, to pudding. I would have tried all the food but my stomach would have burst!

Kobe Mosaic – Located at the Harbor of Kobe and Kobe’s playground. There are restaurants, bars, a movie theatre, a shopping market, an amusement arcade and a little amusement park. It’s a “mosaic town” with a big Ferris wheel and carousel, Mosaic Garden and restaurants, boutiques and movie theatres form an almost mosaic-like effect in this commercial park complex. Harbour cruises are offered, some of which go as far as the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge.

Osaka

Osaka Castle – Osaka’s best known sight and the symbol of the city, Osaka Castle is located in Chuo-ku in what is now called Osaka Castle Park. It was originally built in 1583 by the order of Hideyoshi Toyotomi. The current Osaka Castle was built in 1931 after the castle had suffered several destructions throughout its history. The steep walls which rise close to 30 meters high are made of huge blocks of stone that were transported to Osaka from quarries over 100km away. The sheer height of the walls and the wide moats they rise above make for a grand sight that can be matched by no other castle in Japan. The dolphins on the roof, the ornamental roof tiles and reliefs carved in the shape of tigers are all gilded with gold.

In January 1968, Panasonic Corporation and The Mainichi Newspapers agreed to undertake a joint time capsule project in celebration of the Japan World Exposition 1970: EXPO ’70. Two identical time capsules were buried adjacent to Osaka Castle. The lower capsule will remain buried for 5,000 years; the upper capsule will be opened for the first time in the year 2,000 and every 100 years thereafter. Each capsule contains 2,098 objects and recorded items representing the achievements of our civilization and the everyday experience of the Japanese people. The heritage left by our ancient and more recent ancestors is recorded through art, Iiterature and music. Even the ideals and aspirations of people today are expressed in written and recorded messages.

Nipponbashi – A shopping district of Naniwa Ward, Osaka. Known colloquially as “Den-Den Town,” Nipponbashi is known for its many shops which specialize in furniture, tools, and “otaku” interests such as electronics, animation, comic books, and collectibles. Nipponbashi is often compared to Akihabara Electric Town, its equivalent (in terms of focus) in Tokyo. Although written with the same characters 日本橋 in Japanese, Nihonbashi in Chūō, Tokyo is a different place and has a different pronunciation.

Shinsaibashi – A district in the Chūō-ku ward of Osaka and the city’s main shopping area. It centers around Shinsaibashi-suji, a covered shopping street, that is north of Dōtonbori and parallel and east of Mido-suji street. Associated with Shinsaibashi, and west of Mido-suji street, is Amerika-mura, an American-themed shopping area and center of Osaka’s youth culture.

We stopped for a lovely Shabu-Shabu dinner here.

We spotted this Pachinko palour and I discreetly took a photo. Pachinko is a Japanese gaming device used for amusement and gambling. A Pachinko machine resembles a vertical pinball machine, but with no flippers and a large number of relatively small balls. The player fires a ball up into the machine, controlling only its initial speed. The ball then cascades down through a dense forest of pins. In most cases, the ball falls to the bottom and is lost, but if it instead goes into certain pockets, more balls are released as a jackpot.

Dōtonbori – One of the principal tourist destinations in Osaka is a single street, running alongside the Dōtonbori canal between the Dōtonboribashi Bridge and the Nipponbashi Bridge in the Namba ward of Osaka. A former pleasure district, Dōtonbori is famous for its historic theaters (all gone now), its shops and restaurants, and its many neon and mechanized signs, including snack/candy manufacturer Glico’s giant electronic display of a runner crossing the finish line (the oldest neon sign in the world).

Our trip ended with a BBQ buffet dinner in Osaka.

This is one of a three part entry of our trip to Honshū, Japan. Other places we visited on this trip are Tokyo City & DisneySea, Mount Fuji Lake District & Gifu.

Mount Fuji Lake District

Mt. Fuji – Also known affectionately as Fujisan is 3776 meters high and is Japan’s highest mountain. It is not surprising that the nearly perfectly shaped volcano has been worshipped as a sacred mountain and experienced big popularity among artists and common people. Mount Fuji is a dormant ... [read more]]]> Mount Fuji Lake District

Mt. Fuji – Also known affectionately as Fujisan is 3776 meters high and is Japan’s highest mountain. It is not surprising that the nearly perfectly shaped volcano has been worshipped as a sacred mountain and experienced big popularity among artists and common people. Mount Fuji is a dormant volcano, which most recently erupted in 1708. It stands on the border between Yamanashi and Shizuoka Prefectures and can be seen from Tokyo and Yokohama on clear days.

I managed to get a nice shot of Mount Fujiyama - silently wishing that we could stay longer to admire it’s almost perfect symetrical shape and natural beauty. We didn’t manage to see a full snowcap though at it’s summer now.

Oshino Hakkai – The name given to the 8 ponds filled with melted snow water that has taken more than 80 years to filter through the underground layers of Mt. Fuji. People have valued this water, which they call ‘sacred water’. The clear water surface reflecting Mt. Fuji appears to be veiled in an almost mystic air.

Not only do these ponds boast fine-quality water, but they harmonize wonderfully with the surrounding rustic scenery, and the water of Oshino Hakkai is ranked among the best-quality waters of Japan. We were glad we brought our water bottles to collect clean drinking water from the dragons mouth.

Some beautiful flowers we saw along the street at Oshino Hakkai.

We also tried some local pickled vegetables for sale.

Otodome Falls – The name “Sound Stopping Waterfall” comes from an episode in the Soga Monogatari story of the Kamakura period. When the Soga brothers accompanied Minamoto Yoritomo on a hunting expedition to the base of Mount Fuji, they plotted to assassinate one of Yoritomo’s retainers, Kudō Tsuketsune, who was the murderer of their father. In order to avoid being overheard, they planned their strategy by the roaring waters of this waterfall. The Otodome Falls is listed as one of the “Japan’s Top 100 Waterfalls”, in a listing published by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment in 1990.

Shiraito-no-Taki Falls - AKA White Thread Waterfalls is just a five minute walk from Otodome Falls. It is part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park and has been protected since 1936 as a Japanese Natural Monument. The falls were regarded as sacred under the Fuji cult. This is really a very wide series of percolating waterfalls through moss and other foliage giving it a charming and fairly unique character to it. The falls is so wide that there’s really no way to get it all.

Stopping for some fizzy fruit drinks…

And local ice cream – peach, blueberry, green tea, and more!

Gotemba Premium Outlets – Japan’s most popular outlet mall, located in Gotemba City at the base of Mount Fuji. The stores found at the Premium Outlets are the outlets of internationally known brands of fashion, sports, food, household goods and electronics, and range from everyday items to luxury goods. The prices are not ridiculously cheap, but they are better on average than what you will find at regular retail shops in Japan.

The mall features over 200 stores along with a number of restaurants, a food court, rose garden, and a 50 meter high ferris wheel. I’m not much into shopping and ended up walking around the rose garden instead – unfortunately, the roses were already over-bloomed and I didn’t manage to see many varieties in all their glory.

We stayed at a traditional hotel right next to Lake Kawaguchi with an Onsen – Natural hot springs are numerous and highly popular across Japan. Hot springs are supposed to have a relaxing effect on your body and mind. Japanese hot springs are enjoyed naked!

A view of Lake Kawaguchi from our hotel window.

Japanese breakfast at the hotel: rice, fish, and pickled vegetables.

Lunch at Jonathan’s 24hour Restaurant: Yakizakana.

Everyone dressed in our yukata (robe) for dinner at the hotel: Nabe.

We also ordered a sashimi boat (¥15,000) consisting of lobster, tuna, salmon, swordfish, squid, prawns, scallops, and sea-urchin shared by 6 on the side. The sea urchins were quite an experience and tasted a little like over-ripe mango.

 
Gifu

Nagara River Ukai Cormorant Fishing – Cormorant fishing on the Nagara River is a 1,300-year-old tradition where fishing masters (ushō) use Japanese Cormorants to catch fish, primarily ayu (sweetfish). Because of the great skills of the fishing masters, they have received the official title of “Cormorant Fishermen of the Imperial Household Agency,” a hereditary title that is passed on from father to son.

Boats waiting to go out on the Nagara River.

The evening started with a bento dinner on board the boat.

Our Bento – fish caught by Cormorants, tempura, pickled vegetables, rice.

We enjoyed a traditional dance on a floating platform during dinner.

Then it’s a round of fireworks before the start of the fishing demonstration.

I personally find Cormorant Fishing somewhat cruel and will not watch it again – metal rings and placed around the bird’s neck to keep them from swallowing the fish. On fishing days the cormorants are not fed all day so they are hungry at fishing time. The birds are all caught in the wild and trained, and some can catch 60 fish an hour. When cormorants’ gullets are full they are hauled aboard the boat, and the still-moving ayu are disgorged on to the deck.

This is one of a three part entry of our trip to Honshū, Japan. Other places we visited on this trip are Nara, Kyoto, Kobe, Osaka, Tokyo City & DisneySea.

Tokyo City

Shinjuku – A major commercial and administrative center, housing the busiest train station in the world (Shinjuku Station) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administration center for the government of Tokyo. Although the area immediately surrounding Shinjuku Station is home to hotels, department stores, specialist electronic and camera shops, ... [read more]]]> Tokyo City

Shinjuku – A major commercial and administrative center, housing the busiest train station in the world (Shinjuku Station) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administration center for the government of Tokyo. Although the area immediately surrounding Shinjuku Station is home to hotels, department stores, specialist electronic and camera shops, cinemas, restaurants, and bars, the rest of the city is a mix of residential with commercial areas concentrated around railway stations.

Look closely at the blue neon sign in the centre :)

Who are these – Yakuza? Gangsters? Ah Bengs?

Dinner in Shinjuku: Kani Nabe (Crab Hotpot)

Ameyoko – A busy market street along the Yamanote line tracks between Okachimachi and Ueno Station, the site of a black market after World War Two. The name “Ameyoko” is a short form for “Ameya Yokocho” (candy store alley), as candies were traditionally sold there. Alternatively, “Ame” also stands for “America”, because a lot of American products used to be available on the black market.

Packs and packs of fish roe. Yummilicious!

Local snacks at reasonable prices :)

Street lined with rows of vending machines

Ginza – A district of Chūō, named after the silver-coin mint established there in 1612 during the Edo period. It is known as an upscale area of Tokyo with numerous department stores, boutiques, restaurants and coffeehouses. It is recognised as one of the most luxurious shopping districts in the world. Prominent boutiques are Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Gucci.

Elections are nearing and the streets are littered with campaign vans

MINI’s new concept showroom in Ginza, Tokyo.

We stopped at Matsuzakaya for some shopping and lunch. Matsuzakaya Department Store is one of the oldest department store in Japan established in 1611. It was the first Japanese department store that did not require its customers to remove their shoes for entering.

Cherries ¥10,500 – Strawberries ¥3,150 – mandarins ¥22,800

Rockmelons ¥31,500 – Mangoes – Peaches ¥6,300 – Mangoes ¥5,250

Tokyo DisneySea
A 176 acre theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort. It is owned by The Oriental Land Company, which licenses the theme from The Walt Disney Company. Tokyo DisneySea and its companion park Tokyo Disneyland are the only Disney parks in the world not owned by The Walt Disney Company.

There are seven uniquely themed areas or “ports of call”. The entrance to the park is Mediterranean Harbour, which opens up to six more nautically themed ports: American Waterfront, Lost River Delta, Port Discovery, Mermaid Lagoon, Arabian Coast, and Mysterious Island.

Venetian Gondolas @ Mediterranean Harbour

Tower of Terror @ American Waterfront

Overview of Arabian Coast

Looking at pottery @ Arabian Coast

Ariel’s Playground @ Mermaid Lagoon

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea @ Mysterious Island

Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull @ Lost River Delta

This is one of a three part entry of our trip to Honshū, Japan. Other places we visited on this trip are Nara, Kyoto, Kobe, Osaka, Mount Fuji Lake District & Gifu.