Hida-Takayama: In Which I Fell In Love with Japan's Countryside

Hida-Takayama in Gifu Prefecture may not be as famous as other cities like Tokyo, Kyoto or Osaka but when I learned that it's still a traditional city, I got intrigued and decided to make it my first stop during my October 2015 trip.

I flew to Nagoya Airport because it's the closest major airport to Hida-Takayama and there's a direct connection from Manila. From Nagoya Airport, I took the Meitetsu Line to Nagoya Station (~1 hour, JPY870). There are no more trains to Hida-Takayama in the evening so I booked a hostel in Nagoya prior to coming to Japan. I got a dorm bed in Glocal Nagoya Backpackers, which is within walking distance from Nagoya Station, for JPY3240 for one night. That hostel had really soft beds and warm comforters so I slept comfortably!

The next morning, I got my JR Pass exchanged and then took the JR Wide View Hida Limited Express to Takayama Station. I didn't sleep throughout the 2.5-hour trip because the countryside views were amazing.

It's a dam! These are things I studied in university so I'm pretty fascinated by them

It's also possible to take a bus to Takayama from Nagoya. Travel time is roughly the same as the limited express but the bus fare is only around JPY3000 while the limited express costs around JPY6000. I took the train, however, because I had a JR Pass with me.

I arrived in Takayama Station at noon and walked to my hostel (J-Hoppers Takayama). Hida-Takayama is a small city and most sights can be reached by foot. After settling at my hostel, I went to the Old Town area.

This is Takayama Jinya. It's a former government building with many different rooms inside. It now functions as a museum and is open to the public. You take your shoes off before entering and carry them in a plastic bag given at the entrance. Some people may think it's a hassle but I love walking on tatami mats and wooden floors without shoes so I enjoyed it.

Garden

Pardon the selfie. It's not easy taking photos of yourself when you're traveling alone lol.

Kitchen

Afterwards, I walked around the Old Town where various shops selling Japanese products are located. I didn't buy anything but it was enjoyable just looking around.

It was raining lightly that afternoon and it was pretty cold. I went inside a nikuman shop that had a stove heater and bought a nikuman (meat buns) filled with Hida beef. Hida beef or Hida-gyu is actually a famous kind of beef in Japan (i.e. wagyu).

Ramune (Japanese soda with an interesting bottle design, JPY150) and Hida gyunikuman (JPY450)

And then I resumed my walking.

In the evening, I went to a restaurant and had Hida beef for dinner.

JPY2600. I don't normally spend that much for food but I just had to try the Hida beef.

It was a Sunday but you see in the photos that there's not a lot of people in Hida-Takayama. Later, I will learn that while the famous Kyoto is also a very beautiful traditional Japanese city, it's brimming with tourists, which kinda spoils the fun. I enjoyed Hida-Takayama because even though it's not exactly "off the beaten path", I can immerse myself in traditional Japanese culture minus the crowds. It's very accessible and easy to navigate plus the food is really good! It was only the first day of my trip but I found myself in love with Japan's countryside.

Unlike the big cities, there may not be as much to do in Hida-Takayama but it makes an ideal base for day trips to other beautiful places like Kamikochi, Shirakawa-go, Okuhida (hot springs), and Gero Onsen. I personally went on day trips to Shirakawa-go and Kamikochi and I will write about them next!

Changdeokgung in Seoul, South Korea

From Changgyeonggung, I walked to the adjacent palace, Changdeokgung. After paying the KRW2,000 admission fee, I inquired about the Huwon (Secret Garden) tour. Before coming to South Korea, I had read about Huwon inside Changdeokgung, which can only be entered through the palace's organized tour. I was curious about it and since it's only KRW5,000, I went for it.

I was in Changdeokgung at 10am and the Huwon tour wasn't starting until 10:30am so I went around the palace grounds first.

Well... actually, I bought postcards at the souvenir shops first before going around, lol.

I found that Changdeokgung didn't gather my interest very much because I had been to Changgyeonggung already. In the end, all palaces would look the same to me since I do not know much about them. At 10:30am, I proceeded to the Huwon entrance, which is located near the gate adjoining Changgyeonggung and Changdeokgung (also the gate from where I entered).

As the tour guide introduced himself and gave a briefing, I overheard a lady telling her friend, "I can't remember the last time I went on an organized tour". What she said got me thinking about when was the last time I went on an organized tour too haha. It's probably in 2009, when my family went to Macau for a day trip from Hong Kong.

I did enjoy this organized tour. It was informative although it would seem a bit rushed (as all organized tours are) if you want to take a lot of photos. 

Some people, however, preferred to be left behind to take photos. That's quite alright except I wanted to listen to the tour guide. Also, I didn't want to get lost haha. It's a really big place and the only people inside are the ones doing the tour!

It was also tiring because Huwon is very big and there are a lot of slopes (typical Seoul)! The tour guide even said that he has lost a lot of weight after he took the job lol.

The tour lasted 1.5 hours and while I could have explored Changdeokgung more, I was really hungry and besides, I have had my fill of palaces already. I took the other exit (Donhwamun), turned right and walked straight until I reached Anguk Station. Outside the station, I found a small restaurant where I had a bibimbap for KRW5,000. Great way to finish a tiring morning!

Seriously, I cannot emphasize how much I love Korean food. I love balanced meals (one with meat, vegetables, and starch) and Korean food is exactly that. I love kimchi. I love spicy food. Darn it, now I'm hungry.

Last Dinner at Ichiran

For my last dinner in Tokyo in 2013, Kyle brought me to the famous ramen shop, Ichiran.

Single counters at Ichiran. You can set aside the dividers if you're dining with friends.

Spicy food is quite uncommon in Japan so being a spicy food-lover, I really love how Ichiran has spicy sauce in their ramen and allows you to customize the amount.

There's already a water dispenser on your counter.

Darn it, I miss Ichiran. I'm craving ramen right now.

Harry Potter: The Exhibition in Tokyo

A few days before my 2013 trip to Tokyo, I learned that the Harry Potter: The Exhibition was there. It's an international traveling exhibition featuring props, costumes, and sets from the Harry Potter movies. I actually first heard about that exhibition when it was about to move out of Singapore in September 2012. To be honest, I was so tempted to book last-minute tickets to Singapore that time. However, I didn't push through that impulsive plan because even if I had money, it was around the end of the semester and I was really busy with academics and [teaching] work that time so I had to prioritize.

Needless to say, I was really happy that my trip to Tokyo coincided with the Harry Potter exhibition. I mean, what are the chances, right?

The day after I landed in Tokyo, I went to Lawson with my friend Kyle (who is also a fan of Harry Potter) to buy tickets. 

On the day itself, Kyle and I were so excited lol.

Pictures were not allowed inside the exhibit but I was able to snap some photos at the shop (nothing said it wasn't allowed). However, it was really crowded (again, because of the holiday) so I gave up trying to take photos lol. Plus, I was really distracted by all the merchandise.

I seriously wanted a LOT of stuff there like the Marauder's Map, a wand, some Ravenclaw merchandise, and Hermione's necklace during Bill and Fleur's wedding but I had to control myself because I had spent too much on the trip already. However, I still ended up with these:

A postcard set for JPY1100 (around PhP495.00 at that time)

JPY9000 (around PhP4050.00 at that time)

So much for control, I guess. That Time Turner was friggin expensive for something I'm just putting on display but... come on, it's a Time Turner! Kyle, on the other hand, got a wand for JPY5000.

The view from Mori Arts Center in Roppongi where the exhibit was located.

Afterwards, we went back to the Kichijoji area to eat omurice. I had omurice with curry katsu.

After lunch, went around Kichijoji as it's one of Kyle's favorite neighborhoods in Tokyo and I also did some shopping hehe. I guess I enjoyed a lot that I didn't bother taking any photos. Afterwards, Kyle had to go to his part-time job and I went around Inokashira Park but didn't stick around much because it was really hot and humid.

All those trees by the river are sakura trees so they turn pink during spring.
I only know this because I have a few Filipino friends living near Inokashira Park who post photos of this place during spring.

I walked back to Kyle's house and then went out again to visit a local supermarket. For dinner, instead of going out, I made this Japanese-style chicken adobo rice bowl. I paired it with a slightly alcoholic peach drink I found at the supermarket.

Amazing day, I say!

Dinner at Nina's Cafe in Hue, Vietnam

After the Perfume River cruise, we were all eager to take a shower and then have dinner. We decided to eat at the highly rated Nina's Cafe. It was only one kilometer from the hostel. However, after passing through a couple of shady alleys, we started to wonder whether HERE Maps was accurate. Thankfully, when we saw a property lighted with pretty lanterns, we knew we had arrived at the right place.

Since we were all hungry, we decided to go for the set meals.

To start, I was served a Vietnamese pancake with bean sprouts, greens and peanut sauce. I was also given rice paper. 

What happens is you take a rice paper, add pancake, bean sprouts and greens, then roll it like a spring roll, seal it with water and then dip into the peanut sauce before digging in. In the background is passionfruit juice that contained a piece of kiamoy (some kind of preserved plum with very strong sweet/salty/sour flavors). The addition of kiamoy seemed odd at first but I realized that its flavors do compliment the passionfruit well.

Next was banana flower salad with shrimp and pork served with a dressing mainly composed of vinegar and fish sauce.

Banana flower salad with vinegar and fish sauce dressing

Next, I was served a dish with chicken on lemon grass skewers, bean sprouts, salad and peanut sauce. Same as the Vietnamese pancake, it's also rolled in rice paper. At this point, I couldn't eat any more so I gave half of my rolls to the boys haha.

I had removed the lemon grass already when I took the photo.

Then again, there's always room for dessert. I had flan with passionfruit topping.

I can't even express how this post makes me hungry even though I just had dinner. The food at Nina's Cafe was REALLY good (which most probably explains the high ratings). Did I mention that the set meal (excluding the drink) only costs VND150,000 (~USD 6.91 or PhP308.57)? For that amount and for that quality, Nina really gave me the bang for my buck!

Now, if you find yourself in Hue, Vietnam, don't miss this place!

First Taste of Hanoi

Along with seven other co-workers, I flew to Hanoi a few days earlier prior to the company outing in order to visit Central Vietnam. We arrived in Hanoi early at dawn. The bus to Hue wasn't scheduled until the evening so we checked into a hostel first, slept, checked out at noon and then had a little taste of Hanoi-- literally.

For lunch, we went to Cha Ca La Vong which serves grilled fish tossed in a pan with vegetables and peanuts and then eaten with noodles and sauce made of vinegar, fish sauce and chilies. It was good albeit a bit pricey at VND170,000 (~USD7.87 / PhP351.40). It was worth a try, though.

In the afternoon, we had work to do so we went to Highlands Coffee near Hoan Kiem Lake. It was a really great place to work because it's spacious and comfortable with just the right amount of background noise. They have free and fast wi-fi as well as power outlets. It's not air-conditioned as are most cafes in Vietnam but it didn't really need any because it's quite cool in Hanoi (at least compared to Manila).

I had iced Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk (ca phe sua da) and it was really good! To be honest, I never understood the deal with Vietnamese coffee before. I mean, we have good coffee beans in the Philippines anyway. However, I learned that it's not just about the coffee beans, it's also the way they prepare the coffee (using a metal filter called 'phin'). Vietnamese coffee is very strong and condensed milk is quite a good way to balance the bitterness. To be honest, I got hooked with it.

Iced Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk (VND 29,000 or ~USD1.34 / PhP60.00)
Tiramisu cheesecake (VND35,000 or ~USD1.62 / PhP72.40)

That's pretty much how I spent my first day in Hanoi. Though I wasn't able to see many places, it was a great one, especially for my tummy lol.