Ivy Rose Travels: Japan & Vietnam, Part 4, Tokyo

I can't believe I'm already writing about the last piece of the Japanese leg of our trip. We packed a lot into each stop on our trip and Tokyo was definitely no different. Let's jump right in.

Day 1: Arrival & Sightseeing Part 1
The night before we left for Tokyo I stayed up way too late (working on things for this blog and my youtube channel) and I was extremely tired and cranky when we set off for the train station. Luckily we were taking a train into Tokyo (I really LOVE trains and as many flights as I've taken in my life, I actually prefer them to planes). The Odakyu "Romancecar" got us to Tokyo in less than 2 hours, which wasn't enough time for me to get the nap I desperately needed but did leave us with plenty of time to get our bearings in Tokyo without losing the whole day to travel.

Outside of our hotel

We arrived on the tail end of morning rush hour and Shinjuku station was buzzing with people trying to make it to school and work.  I was still a bit drowsy and cranky at this point so it probably felt a lot more chaotic than it actually was--imagine Penn Station or 42nd Street stops at rush hour and it was pretty much no different. After a quick stop at the information desk we hopped on a train and headed to our hotel. (Note: I found Tokyo's  metro system to be extremely easy to navigate--much easier than NYC's. All of the stops are numbered and the ticket machines are simple to use, often calculating the exact fair for your trip so you rarely end up overpaying or coming up short. Also the trains are SUPER clean and comfy). We stayed at another ryokan hotel, the Homeikan Daimachi, similar to the one in Kyoto. However, this one had bathroom facilities outisde of the rooms, which were shared by all of the guests. There was a "family/private" facility that could be locked and used by a single family or person as well as larger public bathrooms for men and women. Both featured a traditional Japanese bath/onsen similar to that seen in Hakone, which was great for our travel-worn bodies. Additionally, breakfast was served in the rooms each morning at a time selected at check-in.

As usual we dropped off our bags and hit the streets.
Stop 1: Shibuya Crossing
Anyone who has ever watched a movie or television show filmed in Tokyo will be familiar with this area of Tokyo. It gave me a bit of a Times Square feel, although MUCH more crowded (if you can imagine that) and way more visually stimulating. The most mind-blowing thing about this particular spot is the sheer number of people that constantly flow across the street at the crossing's four corners. We joined the crowd a number of times during our exploration of the area, but eventually made our way onto the second or third floor of a nearby building to watch from above. I assume the crowds in Times Square look almost as impressive, however the fact that no one even attempts to cross once the light has changed, regardless of traffic flow, and that the mass of people is almost the same size every time, makes it seem almost like a beautifully choreographed dance (see YouTube video below for a clip). For some reason I found myself completely mesmerized by this, and watched at least 3 crossings before my parents were able to tear me away to move on to our next stop.

Cool art on our way to the Harajuku area

Stops 2 & 3: Harajuku Area (Omotesando & Takeshita Street)
Although it was raining we decided to walk to our next stop and take in a bit more of the city. We were well equipped with large umbrellas and jackets and the rain left the air a bit cooler so it made for a nice walk, and we saw some interesting shops/stores along the way.

Seen on Takeshita Street

Side street off of Takeshita St.

As mentioned in previous posts about this trip, my mother visited Japan as a chaperone on a trip and she took us to many of the same areas. Omotesando and Takeshita Street were at the top of her list for Tokyo, and I'm glad we prioritized them. The areas were definitely designed to cater to a younger/more hip crowd with Omotesando featuring many high-end stores and cool coffee shops and restaurants. The area was packed with tourists, but many Japanese teenagers were also out in this area, particularly when we got to Takeshita Street, which caught my attention for its interesting clothing shops and amazing graffiti/wall art. Unfortunately by the time we made it down to this area many of the shops were already closing, but we did get some great photos and I got to check off my only mandatory activity: eat at a conveyor belt sushi restaurant!

My stack of plates at the sushi spot

Day 2: Technology (and shopping) Day
Stop 4: Miraikan (a.k.a. The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation)

Dad in front of the Miraikan

ASIMO

During her research for this trip, my mother happened to stumble on a bunch of videos and articles about the advances in technology taking place at the Miraikan, particularly those involving the development of androids and humanoids (robots). She was particularly interested in seeing the ASIMO demonstration as he(?) is known as "the world's most advanced humanoid robot". It took us a  bit longer than anticipated to get to the museum, and due to technical difficulties we had to stick around until after the 4 PM demo (we arrived around 1:30, but it was DEFINITELY worth it. 


Stop 5: Ginza District
This part of Tokyo is another area known for it's high-end stores, entertainment and restaurants. We thought this would be a nice area to find some souvenirs as we hadn't really purchased anything up until this point and the area has a lot of history, keeping many of its traditional street signs and building markers around. Luckily we did find a few stores and I must say I did quite a bit of damage in the souvenir/gift department. My mother also kept stressing that we must stop into a Japanese department store and visit go down to the lower (underground) levels. Apparently beneath each department store, particularly in this area, is at least one floor filled with high-end gourmet food and beverage counters/shops. It's quite unexpected that these shops are down there and definitely something worth seeing. Some even have a wine tasting counter where you can have a few sips of wine before continuing on your journey...although keep in mind this is "the good stuff" so it's going to be a bit costly.

Stop 6: Akihabara (a.k.a. The Electric Town/City)
This was another area that my mom continuously heard about as she prepared for this trip. Akihabara is home to many, many, MANY electronic shops and is known as the center for diehard anime and manga fans. Admittedly, I was a bit worn down by the time we reached this part of town and my feet literally went numb due to the culmination of walking and climbing done throughout the week (and also the poor choice in shoes on this particular day) and I reached a bit of a brick wall in terms of sightseeing. However, I did enjoy the general atmosphere of the area and if you have even the slightest interest in electronics, anime and/or manga this area is a MUST SEE.

We pretty much shut down after this and groggily headed back to our hotel to search for food so we could eat, shower and pack. Luckily our flight wasn't too early the next day and we were extremely excited to get to Vietnam and meet up with my brother.

Our stop in Japan was a whirlwind and while I know we just scratched the surface of what this amazing country's culture I loved every second. As I've stated before this is a place where you want to stay away from guided tours and pre-packaged activities as much as possible. Every city is so easy to get around and the people are so kind and willing to help that you can always find someone to assist should you have a question. Of course I've made a video of the last stop, which you can watch below:

I hope you enjoyed this quick glimpse into the first half of our trip. If you have any information you'd like to add/correct about or any questions/concerns about any of the locations/activities I've discussed throughout these past few posts please don't hesitate to leave a comment here or on the corresponding YouTube channel. Also take a minute to become a follower of the blog and/or subscribe to the channel so you can stay updated on the upcoming posts covering the Vietnam leg of the trip (these won't be posted until I get back to the states as I am currently wrapping up the last two days of travel as I type). If there is anyone that you think might find this blog interesting please pass it on. Once my travels are done it will take on a bit of a different flavor, but will still very much document my journey through every day life. Thanks for joining me so far and as always....

Enjoy the journey...

Ivy Rose Travels: Japan & Vietnam, Part 3, Hakone

Welcome back to the journey everyone! Views are up on all of the videos and blog posts and I really hope everyone is finding them both entertaining and informative.  Remember, I’m fairly new to the blogging world and BRAND new to the vlogging world so please ANY advice/feedback/tips/strategies/suggestions are more than welcome (I JUST realized I should have been filming in landscape mode on my phone. Sorry for the annoying portrait view in previous videos…).

Anyway, back to the trip…

Our second city in Japan was Hakone. When planning the trip, my mother purposefully placed this city between Kyoto and Tokyo to build in a bit of a rest period. The atmosphere of this city is much more relaxed and was a very welcome change of pace after the busy (but fun) three days traveling to and exploring Kyoto.

Day 1
Arrival: We arrived in Hakone in the afternoon, after riding the Shinkansen (Japanese bullet train) in from Kyoto station. The trip was about 3.5 hours and took us to a neighboring city, Odawara. Once we arrived there we purchased a 3-day unlimited pass which not only afforded us unlimited access to buses and trains but also discounts on entrance fees to various sights within Hakone and the surrounding areas. From Odawara it was about a 30-40 minute bus ride to our BEAUTIFUL hotel, The Fujiya, which is one of the first resort in Japan and has hosted the likes of John Lennon and Yoko Ono as well as political leaders from various countries.

Many of the sights and activities we wanted to engage in were closing once shortly after we arrived so our first day we spent most of our time in and around the hotel.

The Fujiya has a beautiful garden that takes about 25 minutes to walk through and the sunny weather provided a perfect opportunity for us to grab our cameras and work on our photography skills. Here are a few of my favorite shots:

We then walked to Naraya Cafe (about 10 minutes from the hotel) where we enjoyed ice cream and beverages while soaking our feet in a hot spring bath! Our feet were a little swollen and tired from the previous three days of travel and the hot soak felt SO GOOD! Finally, it was time to head back to the hotel for tea in the Fujiya’s famous Orchid Lounge for…well..tea and of course some sweet treats. During the tea my mother convinced me to join her in taking a Japanese bath or onsen. The process was initially very intimidating and overwhelming to me (click the 'onsen' link for details) and I actually walked out twice before trying it, but I'm so glad I did. Soaking in the hot spring water left my skin feeling cleaner and softer than its ever felt and I've never had better sleep. I loved it so much that I ended up doing it again at our hotel in Tokyo...but more on that later.

Day 2: To make up for not being able to hit any of the sights on our list the day before, we got up pretty early and covered nearly everything before closing time!

Stop 1: Hakone Open Air Museum
Easily my favorite part of the trip so far! I love art museums, especially when the work is uniquely displayed or presented. I was literally rendered speechless by the sheer size of some of the work presented and the combination of art and nature was perfect. Ultimately, I ended up putting on my headphones and wandering around the museum by myself for most of the 2-3 hours we were there, and of course took a TON of pictures. I could make a whole post just devoted to this place (and probably will), but for now click the link and enjoy the few pics I've included here and in the video below.

We were also able to enjoy another foot bath here, which for some reason included oranges. Here is a clip of my mom sharing HER thoughts on the matter:

Stop 2:  Gora

Our next stop was to a cute little area called Gora. This is where you can catch the Hakone Tozan Railway, which is the first step in getting to Lake Ashinoko (sight 3). Since we were starving we sat down and had a delicious soba noodle lunch (Gora is filled with soba noodle spots) and then hopped on the train. There isn't much shopping or other activities to do in this area, although there is a park in the area that has wonderful gardens and views. 

Stop 3: Lake Ashinoko

Hakone is one of the cities from which you can get a clear view of Mt. Fuji. Lake Ashinoko, or Lake Ashi for short, is the perfect place to do this and is usually done by taking the ropeway or a boat cruise. Unfortunately for us due to increased volcanic activity in the area the ropeway was shut down (something I was actually not too upset about since the thought of dangling above a mountain didn't seem very appealing to me). Seeing as our only option was the boat tour we hopped on a bus that took us down to the dock and we got on a beautiful boat that took us on a ride across Lake Ashi and dropped us off on the other side where we could shop and eat if we wanted to before catching a city bus back to the train station. While the boat ride was very peaceful with beautiful views, it did get a little crowded with tour groups and we had a bit of a cloudy day and could not get a clear view of Mt. Fuji. However, the shopping on the other side of the lake was pretty decent (mostly touristy souvenir types of shops) and we were able to finally get some delicious bean-filled buns! 

At this point a lot of things in Hakone were beginning to close and we needed to head back to the hotel and figure out what we were going to do for dinner. I will say that if you visit Hakone during the week, plan on eating an early dinner as most of the restaurants don't stay open very late. We ended up eating in our hotel's bar, which was actually really delicious, but there were a ton of places nearby that we wanted to try. As you can tell, Hakone has a very different vibe from Kyoto, but it was just as enjoyable. As I said before my mother planned this portion of the trip to give us a chance to rest before taking on Toky, and as you'll see in the next post we definitely needed it. 

As always I've gone ahead and made a vlog of our short time in Hakone. Make sure to check it out and leave a comment to let me know what you think:

Before I close out I'd like to take a second and say that I almost didn't write this post because of all that is going on in the world in the past week, particularly around the lives of Black people throughout the diaspora. However, as I was looking for guidance and inspiration in my own processing of emotions around these events I came across the following quotes and offer them to you merely as food for thought:

"In every community, there is work to be done. In every nation, there are wounds to heal. In every heart, there is the power to do it."  -  Marianne Williamson

"Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends." - Maya Angelou

 

Next post will again require at least one or two days for me to get ready, but it is one you defnitely don't want to miss!

Enjoy the journey...

Ivy Rose Travels: Japan & Vietnam Part 2, Kyoto

So when I last left you, we just arrived at our hotel in Kyoto. We quickly dropped our bags off and headed out to explore as we only had two days in Kyoto,  and my parents had quite a schedule planned for us. I'll briefly run through the six major stops we made throughout the two days along with pictures and my general thoughts. Each name of a stop is linked to a site that provides much more detailed information, including specific locations, nearby restaurants and shopping opportunities, travel info, etc. As I am setting out to present a much more personal account of my experiences, I went ahead and found some wonderful resources for the previously mentioned vital information. Please make sure you click on the links and visit these other sites. We used blogs and sites similar to these throughout the trip and they were life (and time) savers!



Day 1
Stop 1: Kinkaku-ji Temple (a.ka. The Golden Pavillion/Temple)
We decided to take the city bus to this location since our hotel sold one-day unlimited passes and it was more cost-effective than taking the train or a taxi. The 40-minute bus ride gave us a nice opportunity to rest a bit after our morning of travel and we were REALLY energetic and ready to take in our first sight in Kyoto. Kinkaku-ji is accurately nicknamed the Golden Pavillion/Temple and although I took a million pictures it really is much more impressive in person (either that or my camera skills need a little work). I definitely thought this was a great first stop for the trip although I could tell that there was potential for the crowds to get really overwhelming so I would stick to a visit closer to opening or closing time. We were a bit hungry around this time but didn't want to stop for a full meal so we decided to have our very first taste of green tea ice cream. Check out the video at the end of the post for our reactions!



Stop 2: Gion & Higashiyama Districts

Entrance to the Yasaka Jinja shrine

Yasaka Pagoda

In order to get our money's worth from our unlimited passes we had to take at least three bus trips (each trip was 230 yen/person and an unlimited pass was 500 yen/person at the hotel).  We spent some time figuring out the routes and hopped on a bus that took us to the Gion District of Kyoto. Before we even reached the bus stop I could tell that this spot was extremely popular with tourists, many of whom were dressed in traditional geisha-style clothing as this part of Kyoto boasts the title of "most famous geisha district" in the city. During our stop here we browsed around the Yasaka Jinja Shrine, and meandered through the surrounding side streets taking in the traditional architecture that remains preserved in much of this area. About a 10-15 minute walk later we found ourselves at the Yasaka Pagoda and the Yasaka Koshindo Shrine (located in the Higashiyama sightseeing district). Both were extremely breathtaking and I put my brand new Nikon D3300 to work once again. We set off exploring the various side streets attempting to locate an interesting area my mother remembered from a previous trip to Japan 10 years ago and wound up back at the Yasaka Jinja Shrine. This time we walked further back behind it and stumbled upon Maruyama Park. In need of a break we sat on some benches and enjoyed live music from a street performer (a piece of his performance is included in the video below!). Around this time we were STARVING and began the search for food. As Gion is known for its restaurants and theaters with geisha performances we found it difficult to locate a reasonably priced meal in the area. After over an hour of searching and our energy quickly fading we decided to walk away from the Gion area and luckily came across a cute little place that served delicious noodle dishes and even Japanese Pancakes (SO GOOD!). Unfortunately we were so hungry and tired we forgot to take a picture of the spot and none of us can remember the name but it is only about 4 or 5 blocks from the Yasaka Jinja Shrine and one of two places in the area that we saw offering the Japanese Pancakes. I have footage of it's interior in the video below, which might help identify it if any of you should find yourself in Kyoto in the future.

Day 2
Stop 3: Arashiyama Bamboo Grove (a.k.a. The Bamboo Forest)
We started day 2 bright and early with a delicious Japanese-style breakfast at our hotel. I much prefer this over traditional Western breakfasts that are often served in hotels (heavy on items such as bread, pancakes, bacon, etc.). I left completely full and yet not weighed down. I'm definitely incorporating some of the components of this approach to breakfast into my daily routine. We decided to take the train this time as we had A LOT of sights to fit into one day and couldn't afford another 40-minute bus ride so early in the day. Although my mother told me exactly what the bamboo forest was, I had no idea just how gigantic the bamboo would be and the landscaping of the forest was just perfect. I think for this portion of the post I'll let the video footage and photos do the talking for me.

Stop 4: Togetsukyo Bridge
The bridge is about a 10-15 minute walk away from the bamboo forest and boasts more stunning views of the area. As a Florida girl I am always so blown away by mountainous terrain and I honestly could have stood on that bridge all day taking in the view of the water and the lush mountains in the background. However, there were many more sights to see, so after taking a few selfie-stick pics we were off and running to stop 5.

My sashimi rice bowl

Stop 5: Nashiki Market
I'm not a huge shopper but Nashiki Market provided a wonderful opportunity to note the variety of food in Japan. It was an amazing cultural experience and as much of it was seafood I was definitely in my happy place! However, I must note that if crowded spaces are not your thing you might want to skip this stop. Nashiki Market is PACKED with tourists and locals attempting to buy everything from fish to "I heart Kyoto" t-shirts. Often times we were shoulder-to-shoulder with those around us, all attempting to make it through the market. Personally, this was a bit of a struggle for me as I don't do well in big crowds, but all my worries and anxiety were quickly forgotten once I took my first bite of the greatest rice bowl w/fresh sashimi from a sushi spot near the center of the market.


Stop 6: Kiyomizu-dera Temple

View from the upper balcony

We definitely saved the best for last, heading back near the Higashiyama district where we climbed up the steep, tourist-packed street to reach our final temple visit of this portion of our trip. At this point I was kind of templed-out and definitely feeling the effects of the jet lag due to the 13-hour time difference. However, this temple was like nothing I had ever seen and we spent the next 2 hours or so exploring the massive temple, taking in the views from the various landings and balconies, and exploring the preserved streets in the surrounding areas. I'm usually not a big fan of the super touristy stuff, but coming to Kyoto without stopping at this particular temple would be a huge mistake.



I know this seems like a lot to cram into two (well 1.5) days,  but it was an absolutely amazing experience. Check out the video below for another glimpse into our experiences in Kyoto:

 Although I could barely walk or keep my eyes open by the end of the day I really feel like we got the essence of the city. I definitely recommend taking public trans (city bus and/or subway) over taxis or guided tours as you get to feel the vibe of the city and get to know it on a much more personal level. We have since headed to Hakone, which provided a nice change of pace. I'll be uploading a post and video of our very special time there in the next day or so. Make sure you keep your eyes on Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram to ensure you don't miss it! Please leave your comments/questions/feedback* below and pass this info on to anyone who might find it useful, and as always...

Enjoy the journey....

*I'm beyond exhausted and had a ton of technical difficulties attempting to get this post and corresponding video up by my self-imposed deadline. I'm sure there are a ton of tiny mistakes and there will probably be some edits to this post in the very near future. Bare with me folks :-)

Ivy Rose Travels: Japan & Vietnam Part 1, NYC to Kyoto

After two long years I finally made time to join my family on their annual summer vacation. This year's trip is a 14-day exploration of eight cities in Japan and Vietnam! Throughout the trip I will take a total of eight flights, two boat trips (one overnight) and many trains and buses (both within and between cities).

Boarding our flight to Toronto

Comfy & Ready to take off for Tokyo

As I mentioned in the previous post my parents' trip to NYC was planned so that the three of us could travel to Kyoto together (my brother is meeting us in Vietnam). We began the journey with a flight from LaGuardia to Toronto where my dad insisted we have a Tim Horton's donut. I got a maple frosted one and I must admit it was life changing (so delicious, in fact, that I could not stop eating it long enough to snap a photo). We then got cozy for our 12-hour flight to Tokyo. I usually get pretty restless and anxious on long flights, especially when we experience a bit of turbulence like we did on this flight, but the Air Canada crew kept us well-fed and the in-flight entertainment was so good that I was pretty comfortable and relaxed the entire flight.

My delicious soba noodle meal

Upon landing in Tokyo we had to make our way through customs, which was (unsurprisingly) quick and well-organized and we even got bumped up to an earlier flight for our final leg of the journey into Osaka. We floated around the airport like zombies during our 4.5 hour layover, each one succumbing to a 30-60 minute nap at various points. Mom and I decided to fuel up on delicious udon and soba(pictured below) noodles to keep our energy up.

Once we arrived in Osaka we made our way to the currency exchange as we hadn't been able to accomplish this in Tokyo as we had planned and then walked across the street to the Osaka Nikko Kansai Airport, our home for the night. We all struggled through showers and then passed out.

Haruka train

The last leg of the journey required us to navigate through the purchasing of tickets for the Haruka train into Kyoto Station. The ever-prepared parents of mine had a step-by-step set of instructions they found on a travel blog and we made it through the process effortlessly (it's REALLY simple and although we didn't need it, I am sure the Kansai airport staff would be more than happy to help guide you through the process if necessary). The train ride wasn't anything out of the ordinary, although I was REALLY impressed by the fact that all of the seats turned around in response to the train changing directions. I get dizzy and nauseous when I have to sit in a seat with the train going backwards so this was a nice touch and is a great example of the attention to detail and consideration for the customer within Japanese culture.

Kyoto Station was much larger and busier than I expected it to be, but as usual my parents navigated through like pros, quickly located an information booth and got directions to our hotel so that we could make the journey on foot. The Matsubaya Ryokan has a much more traditional feel, as you can see in the pics and vlog. With only two days in Kyoto we were anxious to get out and start exploring so we left our bags in the lobby (check-in wasn't until 3 and we arrived around 1), bought some 1-day unlimited passes for the city bus and headed off to our first round of sight-seeing...but you'll have to read the next entry to find out how that went (you can watch the vlog below for a sneak peek).

 

Kind of a long post, but trust me reading this wasn't nearly as exhausting as going through it (although I enjoyed every second). As always feel free to leave comments/questions/feedback below and make sure to check out the video and pass it along! Throughout the trip I'll post summaries of my experiences in each city here with corresponding vlogs and of course tons of photos (as long as I have access to wifi), so check back often. Enjoy the journey....

Vlog 2 is up: Roses Take NY

My parents made a quick stop in NYC before we all headed out for our trip to Japan and Vietnam. Vlog #2 covers some highlights from their (less than) 48 hours in the city. Check out the video below and find out what blows our mind on the High Line, which treat my dog Riley would die for and which coffee shop is my favorite spot in all of NYC.


 

Feel free to leave comments/feedback and show love by passing it along.
And remember to always enjoy the journey...

I'm 30!!! Oh and I Vlog Now.

So I guess you all noticed that this blog bit the dust pretty quickly after I started it. My research took off, I started TAing for one of my professors and I was president of a rapidly growing student organization. Basically, my schedule went from 0 to 100 (cue Drake) and some things got pushed to the side...sadly this blog was one of them. Things are much calmer now and with the end of the school year, I have decided to revive the blog and add a little extra feature..videos! I won't say much more because this first vlog speaks for itself (it's pretty long...sorry), but I hope you all enjoy it. Check out the video, subscribe to the channel and keep checking in over the summer! It should be an exciting ride. Enjoy the journey!!