Kat's Notebook

2011 brought me to a lot of places. I seemed to have this mission of exploring the world and checking off the places in my travel bucket list. I also would think that it would be the end of the world in 2012 so I should visit these wonderful places before the end happens. Fortunately [...]

I had a very wonderful and fun time in Japan. I loved the culture, the people, the etiquette and manners, the history, the old buildings, etc. Initially I was intimidated with this country because I had expectation of it being too strait-laced, too high-tech, too rigid. But when I came to the country, I found [...]

Here are some snacks I tried in Kyoto. FYI, each Japanese region has their own take of a particular food or dish. For example, okonomiyaki in Osaka is done differently than in Tokyo or a particular region is most famous for a food eg. yatsuhashi in Kyoto. Even though I noted this down in my [...]

I would specifically blog about the JR Shinkansen Hikari and the Narita Express. This was the first time I have rode in a train where they have their own luggage space and wash area. I was really impressed by the amenities inside these trains. The trains were spacious, ran quietly and smoothly, and very comfortable. [...]

Osaka can be reached from Kyoto by train or bus. By train it takes about 15-30minutes depending where in Osaka you’ll stop. Osaka also has an airport terminal carrying both international and domestic flights. Initially I plan my travel itinerary to arrive in Tokyo and return to the USA by departing from Osaka. But it [...]

I was expecting rain in this trip before I left for Japan. However for the past 3 days God is good to bless us good weather. So when it rained in our second day in Kyoto, it didn’t dampen our spirits to go ahead with the sightseeing activity planned for the day. Kyoto has a [...]

We almost skip this area because of lack of time but I was adamant to see this place so my sister gave in to my demand. We celebrated her birthday here with a special birthday breakfast. I thought that sushi for breakfast was a bit gross for me. I didn’t relish on eating raw fish [...]

Here are more food that I tried in Japan. After eating only Japanese food for our entire vacation, I was missing and more than yearning for Filipino or Chinese food. However I couldn’t get enough of Japanese mochi, though! Ekiben at Tokyo Station. My breakfast box (880Y) for the 3-hour-ride from Tokyo to Kyoto. There [...]

In my Japan trip, my sister and I planned out a 2 day stay at Kyoto. Kyoto is more relaxed than Tokyo. It also has more sightseeing places. It is astounding the numbers of temples here – each has its own history and character. In Kyoto, the best way to go around is by city [...]