[Travel Log - Japan] In Spring: Day 9 & 10 - Home bound

 Click here to read from the 1st post of this travel log! 😊

Day 9 & 10: Homebound

19-20 April 2019, Friday-Saturday

Our last full day in Nagoya was spent free and easy... Fio & I went to take a walk around the city, doing some last minute shopping in the malls (burden me was in low sugar mode so I couldn't move around too much, sumimasen 😭) while SY & YR went elsewhere. 

We met back at AirBnB for some tebasaki (hearsay its one of Nagoya's specialty👀)...

After which we just packed and packed in preparation for our early flight home the next day. 

Airport shuttle from Nagoya Tokyu Hotel (within walking distance of the AirBnB)

Flight home from Nagoya

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Writers' note: 

After almost exactly 1.5 years after the trip, I finally finished journaling. There were so many detailed memories that were missing because time passed and memories fade but the heart will always remember the feelings we had and look upon this time very fondly. 

With Covid-19 still lingering, it is hard to say when exactly we would get the opportunity to travel like how we used to, but we will pull through. Ganbare! 😎

[Travel Log - Japan] In Spring: Day 8 - Back to Nagoya

 Click here to read from the 1st post of this travel log! 😊

Day 8: Back to Nagoya

18 April 2019, Thursday

Before heading back Nagoya, we decided to make full use of the morning to check out one more tourist spot in Fuji area. 

Just 2 train stops away from Fujisan Station, we alighted at Shimoyoshida Station (下吉田駅) and walked to Arakurayama Sengen Park. 

Arakurayama Sengen Park / Chureito Pagoda（新倉山 浅間公園 忠霊塔）

Map: 2-3353 Asama, Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi 403-0011, Japan

Amazing weather, cherry blossoms, Mt Fuji as the backdrop and great company. 😍

If you google search Chureito Pagoda, you would probably see many pictures at this particular angle ^. This is actually a designated photo spot. Its so extremely crowded with everyone trying to get their shot at this amazing scenery, but so worth the wait. 

With that, our Mt. Fuji adventures came to a close, but not without getting our stomachs filled first. 

麺許皆伝

Map: 849-1 Kamiyoshida, Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi 403-0005, Japan

And here comes the funny story of how we nearly had to split up to get back to the station to return to Nagoya. So we took a bus to this stop which had buses headed for Mishima (the station that we were going to take the Shinkansen from). 

The first bus that came by did not have enough space for all of us, so we waited for the next (and panicked a little because we realised that we were somewhat in the middle of the route - which meant, we were gambling with the chance of having 4 seats available on the bus for us). 

So we just sat on our luggage, frantically searching for other means of transport in case this didn't work out. Coming up with plans on how we could split into 2 groups if the next bus didn't have enough space.. etc.. Thankfully, it all worked out. 

AirBnB

Map: Near Hisaya-odori Station

A very cosy apartment... 

If you were to ask me, what is the most stressful part about staying in an AirBnB in Japan, it would definitely be the sorting of trash. There are so so many grey areas about whether something is plastic or not, are they combustible or not, etc... etc... 😂

Apart from that, it was a very good maiden experience for me staying in an AirBnB. I'm glad it was in Japan. 😇

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[Travel Log - Japan] In Spring: Day 3 - Nagoya to Shizuoka

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Day 3: Nagoya to Shizuoka

13 April 2019, Saturday

Off to Shizuoka! We got our bus tickets the night before (@ 2880円/adult). I definitely think it is safer to purchase them ahead of time rather than on the day itself as it is highly dependable on availability and consumer demand. So, buying them ahead of time would give a slight flexibility in terms of e.g. bus timings. 

Before we head off, we got our Lawson fix for our asa gohan (朝ご飯), fried chicken & a sushi roll for me 😍, while waiting for our bus departure timing.

Normally, I get terrified when I'm seated at the back (thanks to my motion-sickness). But somehow, I always managed to fall asleep on long-distance bus rides while in Japan. 😂 よかったね。

The journey from Nagoya to Shizuoka took about 2 hours, and the 1st thing I saw on arrival was that their macca's had this: BACON POTATO PIE.

Anything potato is 🧡.

松屋牛丼 (Matsuya Gyudon)

Its a gyudon chain, so its very common across the country... (hence I won't be putting a specific  address since its everywhere). Orders are through a ticket machine and you pass the staff copy of the coupon to the staff. 

We were walking through a shopping center when I spotted these doughnuts!! 

These unbelievably cute doughnuts produced by Shiretoko Factory, I got to know about them through my friend, hm (whom I visited tokyo skytree with in my Nov 2018 trip) and during that time, the store was already closed and I didn't get the opportunity to try it there. 

And so, imagine my surprise when I found it so unexpectedly. 

(but they did feel like a pop-up store, I cant find the exact location from their site anymore 😔)

Random stuff we saw along the way... imagine doing self ear piercing. 😱😱😱

A NEW BAG that I haven't got to use it till date 😭

静鉄ホテルプレジオ (Shizutetsu Hotel Prezio)

Map: 13-21 Minamicho, Suruga Ward, Shizuoka, 422-8067, Japan

静岡おでん (Shizuoka Oden)
Map: (somehow, I cant seem to find the exact location for this, but it is in the vicinity of the hotel😢)

This, is the highlight of the day. The meal was so perfect, and we were given a table on the 2nd level which was overlooking the restaurant. I'll just let the pictures do the talking.

It was the best... one of our most memorable meals throughout the trip. We had a bit of beer to go with the meal and we ended the day feeling satisfied (but there's one problem, iirc, there wasn't a non-smoking zone. But I cant exactly remember anymore 😅).


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