Shirakawa-go and Takayama 2014

The second day brought us to the Meitetsu Bus Station which is located adjacent to the Nagoya JR Station. It is a confusing labyrinth if it's your first visit to Japan but it's alright, just make sure you that you are there early and follow the signage. You will find the bus station.

Well, the preparation part for this section of the trip was pretty difficult because I was trying to find a direct transportation to Shirakawa, without making a stop at Takayama as I thought the route will be suit my schedule since I will be making a stop in takayama anyways before I make my way to Kyoto. Yes, my aim was to save time and cost. 

Sure, googling around tells me that there is a direct bus which goes to Shirakawa from Nagoya but the links did not get me there. When it did...it was in Japanese ( http://www.gifubus.co.jp/highway/ )! But thank god there's Google Translate ;)  

After a few round of attempts, I have managed to reserve my bus tickets!! 

So everything was set after that but when we board the bus, I found that I might be acting a little too kiasu for the great length that I took to make sure I have a reservation because, the bus was not at all packed and some passengers just buy the tickets before the scheduled departure. Perhaps, October is not a peak tourist season.

Anyways, still...it is a good practice to make advance reservations to ensure that everything goes smoothly. Ehem.

The journey to Shirakawa took approximately 3 hours. It was a long ride with a 15 minutes toilet break at a rest area along the highway. The driver was very professional and we felt safe throughout the ride even though there was a near miss-accident at one of the many corners towards Shirakawa. I'd would actually blame it on that on-coming car which was going a little too fast at the bend. 

The electronic board indicated the fare at each stop and you bet it. Looking at it doesn't help because it made you can't wait to reach the destination

It might be due to a holiday season? We saw a number of big bikes along the way...particularly like this angle of the bike..

The view from the observatory deck. It was a 15 minutes walk from the town area and 30 minutes climb up hill. You can opt for a bus ride but we enjoyed the short hike. I think the bus ride would be at no cost and you can hitch one at the station near to this hill. Get a map from the tourist information counter at the bus station, it will make it easier for you to navigate around.

I am being weird but this metal drain cover is one of my favourite things there

And you wouldn't believe it if I tell you that the above is taken from a drain there. It is so clean that fishes can swim happily in the drainage system...I'm sorry for my manners but you don't get to see this in Kuala Lumpur. You only get tiny guppies and water sliders....and aedes mosquitoes...

Shirakawa is a charming little town and our day was spent strolling around and taking in the view. 

Here, we have decided to stay at Hisamatsu Ryokan (reservation was made with Japanese Guest House at the price of ¥18600/night for two person; breakfast and dinner inclusive) and it was the best choice. Reservation has to be made early because this ryokan can only accomodate so much with its 4 guest rooms. 

A lot of ryokans in Shirakawa has already closed up their hearth and so, for the obvious reason, I have chosen this ryokan for the experience of dining by the hearth, sipping tea on the tatami and sleeping on the futon bed. Hisamatsu has a long history and sleeping in the house, your steps have to be light during night time because the shoji screen is the only one thing which separates you and your room mate. 

Anyways, I did get a wonderful experience- there was only one heater in the room and in the morning, you can practically freeze in the room (only applicable to people like me; living in a tropical country for life...a cold morning like that can get me frozen). 

The meals prepared by the owner were awesome. You can request for a vegetarian meal if you have a need for that but just keep in mind to not drink the soup because anyhow, the soup is made from fish broth.

It is amazing to think how older generations live in the gassho houses. It sure going to be uber cold during winter and with those wooden walls and paper screens...how do they keep warm?

The hearth is now reserved just for decoration and boiling water. Be warned, you will get pretty smoked up after your meal by the hearth.

A good night sleep after a warm bath in the hot spring down the street. You can get a discount from the owner and the entrance will only cost you ¥500. Remember to bring along your own toiletries when you are heading there...I didn't when I went because I was too green, LOL. It was interesting or not that I have to ask the patrons what to do when you are in a public bath... *shy*

Sighs, reminiscing that night, it was a relaxing walk back to the ryokan after the bath, strolling on the empty street and stopping on the way gazing the night sky...

On the next morning, our journey continues with the next destination: Takayama. It is super easy to drop by the bus station and board the Nouhi bus at the designated time. Again, of course, it is best to reserve your seats on the night before your departure. Here, we stayed the night at Takayama K's House. If you are a little lost, just take the junction at the petrol station opposite the bus station and from there, walk straight on. You will find the hostel with no difficulties. We took the road after the petrol station and yes, we had to ask around to finally find it. Hehe....

As seen above, we have made a good choice yet again. The hostel was strategically located, 5-10 minutes walk from the bus station provided that you didn't (accidentally) took the longer route. ~__~;

The typical street view that you will see in almost every visitors' blogpost..HEHE..

We spent our day roaming the old town and the morning market on the next day. It is not a huge town, for us and a one day trip is actually quite sufficient. Here, I would recommend to those who would like to buy home some miso paste to buy it at the morning market- the price is lower.

Another recommendation is to buy fruits and other local food in the grocery store near to the old town. We got some great deals with the juicy grapes..*hearts* only ¥300-400 for a generous bunch.

Yea, saving wherever you can if you are on a budget trip because it helps to ease the train ticket to your next destination; me? KYOTO! 

I didn't plan too much on the transportation for this as I can't get much information on the train transfer. It seemed to me then that I have to rush for a few transfers along the way to Kyoto without having to go back to Nagoya station again. That's right, I don't intend to detour to Nagoya station again to get a direct train to Kyoto.

Confusion..confusion and when you are confused, the backup plan is to play it by the ear and figure out the way when you are there. LOL...so far that works and we got the JR train time table at the tourist information counter and voila! We spotted our ride- the Hikari #36.. At a whopping cost of ¥7130.

Oh well...there we go...

Shouting,"Kyoto! Here we come!"

Nagoya, Japan 2014

There was a time when Astro used to air Japanese-travel shows as well as short video clips (usually about some popular technologies being used in Japan) and I remember so much of this scenery that had literally took my breath away. I took this from one of the websites when I was 'researching' about Shirakawa, Japan. It was taken from this blogger and I do envy that she was able to visit Shirakawa during winter. Well, it would be quite a challenge and for one, you will have to be prepared to visit a snowy place during winter time because you might get stuck in a snow storm and possibly delay your flight home or your journey to the next destination. We can't predict the weather nowadays, can we?

I'd say, weather is getting emotional lately...but in actual fact, I supposed a lot of visitors actually chose to visit Shirakawa during winter due to its picturesque view. It will definitely worth it...albeit the steep price which you might need to consider in order to stay in that village.

Snowy Shirakawa. Photo courtesy of jothetartqueen

Little did I know that there was so much stories behind these farmhouses (houses with thatched rooftop). Standing at at least 100 years old, these farmhouses are battling against modernization but it's a relieved that the Japanese government is preserving them so well. To build a gassho-zukuri farmhouse is not easy but of course, what am I talking about? It was never at all easy to build anything in the olden days due to the lack of modern machinery. Neighbours have to come together and build the house. A house that need to withstand the heavy snow and horrifying earthquake and at the same time, it has to protect you from the scorching summer. Amazing isn't it? People come together and build a functional structure out of woods, straw and lots of sweat as well as hard work, which then becomes a home. Evolution and technology are quite a pain because in a way, people are more connected but ironically, they are also more distanced from each other. 

Shirakawa is hidden village located in the Gifu prefecture and it is situated at the peak of Mount Haku. There are several different modes of transportation available and this page listed the modes of transportation which can take you from Kyoto to Kanazawa:

Map taken from Japan Guide

I must thank Japan Rail Pass for its efforts in putting up this amazing site with all the necessary information for you to decide on which pass to buy and if it is worth it for you to get a pass instead of paying for single fare. http://jprail.com/destinations/kansai-area/guide-to-take-trains-in-kyoto-how-to-choose-the-best-route-by-train-to-get-the-major-spots.html

I know...all this researching on which transportation to take and what is the best route is a total pain and even more so if you are on a budget. Trust me, I didn't have an easy time either even with the help of Google- there are way too many sites and information are just scattered everywhere on the net. 

My first leg of the journey started in Nagoya due to the good deal which I took during the Air Asia's ticket promotion. I had an overnight stay in Nagoya and it is not much to shout about because I arrived late and since shops close early in Kansai (at about 9 pm), I don't get to visit places. 

Arriving at about 5 pm, I took a limited express train (costs 735 yen) to the Nagoya Station and from there, took a subway train to a business hotel in Fushimi. My initial plan was to visit the Nagoya Castle and Sakae area after checking in but time was a limiting factor and hence, only managed to do the latter. With that, it was good to purchase a 1-day subway pass at 750 yen considering that my usage from one subway station to another would exceed that amount (200 yen per station; with Nagoya station to Fushimi station to Sakae station and back to Sakae station, that's 800 yen in total).

My short stay in Nagoya is not a highlight, but my accommodation is. I stayed in Nishitetshu Inn Nagoya, a business hotel located just a stone throw away from the subway station. It is NEAR to the station but I missed a junction and that took me a few blocks away from the hotel. I was quite fortunate that the locals are very willing to help. They helped with Google Map and after some asking around (they tried to help but it was either me or the Google Map, I need to ask quite a number of locals and shop assistants at the convenience stores), and finally got one real good pointer from a local. At last, managed to locate the hotel. He was being really helpful.

Anyways, IN SHORT, if you would like to go to Nishitetshu from the Fushimi subway station, your best bet is to just take the exit at the underground shopping street and take the Exit C. Voila, the hotel is just in front of you!

Business hotel is always the most economical accommodation in Japan and as it's name suggested, it is meant to cater to traveling businessmen. At MYR192, it is a decent stay offering clean room and shower. If you have a huge luggage, you might need to struggle a little with it because the hallway is just enough for a medium size (20 inches) trolley luggage and yourself. Of course, by that, you will need to squeeze a little.

. 

The small room is really inviting after a 6hours flight and almost an hour of searching for the hotel.

Tall people, please mind your head. I'm about 168 cm...and I'm doing OK - able to stand straight in the bathroom...so if you are any taller...you might feel a little uncomfortable

Anyways, I later learnt that the room size is absolutely normal by Japan's standard and seriously, like in Hong Kong, you need to PAY for extra space. But we really don't care much as the location is superb. 2 blocks away from the subway, 1 block away to K-Mart and 7-Eleven, and situated on a quiet street. So, the equation summed up to a hot meal, warm shower and a great night sleep! That's important especially if you are hungry (like we were) after the whole deal of airport transfers and hotel searching.

My initial plan was to drop by the majestic Nagoya Castle but time was limited and we didn't want to tire ourselves further as we have a bus to catch on the next day. We went instead to roam around near the Nagoya TV tower. Not a good choice because shops close early and by there's nothing much left when we reached. Next to it is the Oasis 21 and it does look interesting from the online photo which we googled but I have a different impression altogether when we were there. 

Feeling slightly disappointed that we did not manage to visit the Nagoya Castle, we retreated back to the hotel for a supper at the convenient store. The free hot lemon drink (from the dispenser...I really like that because they offer hot green tea too!) in the lobby is a good welcome back.

So that marked our arrival and the beginning to the week of exploration!

  Next up: Shirakawa and Takayama!!