Hello, Hivers!
It’s been more than a week since I published my intro post, The Pilot Episode with Kaycee Ports, and I’m slowly drifting off from Cloud 9. Days before I launched my blog, I was so nervous! Knowing myself, there’s a high probability that I would postpone and procrastinate. As a countermeasure, I scheduled the post to avoid backing out 😳
It has been one of my most fulfilling milestones. I have the Hive Community to thank for such a warm welcome that was unexpected yet very much appreciated. Of course, I share the credit to senpai 
As mentioned in my intro post, I am going to share my most memorable trip.
Ever.
In my lifetime.
I had unbelievable stories to tell from this trip.
I initially thought this would only take one post. But I’m a chatty gal and I’m a great storyteller. At least my friends think so. Anyway, I would like to section the happenings of my trip into 5 anecdotes. I made that as such because I don’t want to dump all of these at once. The 5 part-series will each be entitled:
- Travel Paranoia & 25 on 25th
- Hello, Deer & Happy Muggle
- I Saw Her Majesty
- Amazing Race: Lost Passport Edition
- The DIY Process
But first, I wanna share the reason why I planned this trip.
Why Japan in January 2020?
No, this wasn’t a trip born out of a spontaneous hunt for PISO fare tickets (these are super cheap plane tickets on sale) in the wee hours of dawn.
I WAS VERY SPECIFIC.
I had a date - my birthday.
I had a goal - to watch a Queen concert.
I had a place - where Queen will hold a concert.
Everything was well-orchestrated. It’s practically screaming right at my face that I have to pursue this (hays sana all aspects in life haha ). TRIFECTA!
I felt so invincible that time. No one and no event could stop me. Everything will fall into place because I decide it to be that way. (Yes, power!)
This was a DIY trip, so the preparations itself were pretty nerve-racking. I’ll get more into that in Part 5. For now, let’s proceed to Day 0.
Arrival at Kansai International Airport
I was sick. Sore throat and colds.
To all Cebuano’s right here in HIVE, did you remember the news of the Chinese mother and son who visited Cebu around Sinulog time, and were suspected to carry the coronavirus? Boy, was I paranoid! Because I was among the thick, moist crowd shouting “Pit Senyor!” frolicking in all the festivities. My friends also got sick. What if the virus was there that’s why we’re all sick? But really, it was just the weather. Also, both tests from the Chinese nationals came out negative.
I was so excited when the plane landed in Kansai International Airport, but the feeling of paranoia was overpowering. I was so tense as I passed by the thermal scanners. I didn’t have a fever, but I was paranoid! It wasn’t only until I got clear of the immigration that I let out a huge sigh of relief. I’m not spending my vacation held up in the quarantine facility! Thank God.
My travel buddies for this trip are my parents. They have always been in all my international travels, as well as local trips. It’s mainly because of them that I get to appreciate traveling starting at a young age.
First things first, we claimed our booked tickets, mostly from Klook:
- JR West tickets - 3-day unlimited ride passes along the JR railway system
- Osaka Amazing Pass - 1-day pass to famous Osaka tourist spots and unlimited rides on the following railways: Hankyu, Hanshin, Keihan Electric, Kinki Nippon and Nankai
- ICOCA card - prepaid card used for commuting and shopping
- Queen + Adam Lambert Concert ticket - can be claimed at any Lawson store through the Loppi ticket machine. I had to ask help from the kind clerk because I couldn’t understand the Japanese characters.
All went smoothly except for our pocket wifi from Japan Wireless booked through Klook. It was a matter of miscommunication between both parties about the pick-up availability. In the end, we just dropped it and left without the pocket wifi. A day after this, I emailed Klook for a refund request in which they graciously honored. I didn’t want to spoil my mood anyway because I was so over the moon when I got my concert ticket!!!!
On Our Way to Kyoto
With only our wits, public wifi, and a taxi cab, we were able to travel to Kyoto via train and checked in to K’s House Kyoto - Backpacker’s Hostel. I let the hostel know through the Agoda app that we were arriving late, past midnight. When we arrived at the door, true enough, a note was stuck to the glass door addressed to me. It told me to ring the doorbell when I arrived. Even at the late hour, a cheerful receptionist was there to welcome us.
Biwako Valley Ski Resort
It was a cold, good morning when I woke up and turned 25 in Kyoto, Japan.
I woke up a year older in Japan.
How cool does that sound? 😱
There was once again, a sticky note stuck outside our room door. Is this some kind of surprise? I must have filled out a birthdate upon booking. Would this hostel really be so thoughtful to surprise their guests on their birthday? The answer was NO. Apparently, I have to make additional payments for taxes that the receptionist from last night forgot to mention. Ha! Dream on.
Since this was a special day, I wore my favorite great find in the thrift store to match with the white snowy landscape of Biwako Valley. Of course, I plan my outfits with the itinerary!
From Kyoto station, your destination would have to be Shiga station. Shiga station is small and simple so when you go outside, you will immediately see a waiting shed for the bus leading you to the Biwako Valley. Since the JR pass is applicable for JR lines only, we used our prepaid ICOCA cards at the bus.
To reach the top, we were transported by a huge cable car that could carry 40-50 people, I think (I’m an engineer but I’m not good with figures haha). As soon as we arrived, I got all giddy as I saw the calming shades of blue by the lake and skies. The ice was artificially made (it looked like shaved ice) but the temperature was really cold - the type where your hands can get numb a few seconds without the gloves.
Not even masking the pure bliss in my face, I immediately touched the ice I was stepping on. As someone who grew up in a tropical country, we always dreamed of winter and snow. The pristine white view of icy slopes felt surreal, we don’t have these in the Philippines 😆
As you know, we didn’t have an internet connection. We only relied on our wits, itinerary details and the public wifi in train stations. But the connection wasn’t available everywhere. Without Google Maps, you’re not exactly doomed, but you’d be badgering a lot of Japs (although they were all very sweet and helpful) and wasting precious time. Between that and forgetting the time as we went several rounds of sledding (no regrets), we didn’t have the time to visit temples around Kyoto. We decided to just devote the remaining time finding a pocket wifi. Eventually, we found a store selling prepaid SIM cards with a package mobile data plan for tourists.
Strolling Around Kyoto at Night
We spent our dinner in McDonalds, just to see what version of products they sell. I noticed that they have leafy greens for health buffs. But my most favorite food there was the Cinnamon melts. Yes, it tastes just as good as it sounds!
As we were walking back to our hostel, my mother insisted that we go to a temple. I just literally searched “night temple near me” and let the map guide us. Sorry to say, I forgot the name of the temple. I promise I’ll do better with remembering details in my future travels. Haha. We took pictures with the pretty lanterns and even witnessed a dragon dance stage show.
Closing Notes: What's Next?
I was so bummed we were not able to visit the famous Fushimi Inari. I’ve only seen pictures of that seemingly sacred beauty. But that’s one reason to come back again in Kyoto.
It surely would be difficult to top this birthday. When I said I was sure that no event would stop this from happening, I wasn’t confident all the time. Between the Taal Volcano eruption and the start of the spread of COVID-19 to the rest of the world, I was keeping my fingers crossed for this trip to push through. I was quite amazed I was able to squeeze in this last hurrah before COVID-19 has all forced us to be home buddies.
In the next post, I’ll be showing Day 2 in Nara Park and Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, as well as Day 3 in Universal Studios Japan.
To the seasoned travel bloggers out there, let me know if I pulled off my first travel post. I would very much welcome your tips 😃
That’s it for now. See you in the next post!
