Cycling Tour in Osaka

After we finished the hike at Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto, we headed back to our hotel in Osaka. We were so exhausted and, to think, we only did one activity the entire day! Like Kyoto, we only have one day in Osaka before heading out to another city so I knew the pressure was on to find an activity that was, not only fun, but also shows us all of what Osaka has to offer. My one dilemma was that Osaka is such a big city and I didn’t know where to start or how to conveniently map everything out. Luckily, I stumbled upon Cycle Osaka, and their bike route covered all the places I wanted to see and more. This was perfect for me because I’m an adult child that gets distracted or bored really easily with normal sightseeing. I need to be doing something engaging while I’m at it.  Continue reading “Cycling Tour in Osaka”

Hiking at Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto

Hiking at Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto: Map: At Inari Station – JR Line.

Daniel and I landed in Osaka from Taiwan around 10:30 pm and we were worried about catching the train since it was already late. With my backpack strapped and my overweight luggage tightly gripped by both hands, we ran to find the train station and, luckily, we managed to jump on the last train out. As I was catching my breath and raising my hand up to Daniel for a proud high five because we caught the last train, a sudden shock jolted my system. It’s the same shock, the same fear of when you are standing on stage and you just realized you’re butt naked and everyone is staring at you. I suddenly realized my energy, my breathing, and my proud high five were loud! Everyone on the train was staring at me and yup, I felt butt naked and like an ignorant tourist…I knew then I needed to reign in my energy and my sassy mouth to blend in and to respect the Japanese customs. Continue reading “Hiking at Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto”

Experience Japan with these 10 Activities

Here are 10 must do’s in Japan covering 4 cities in 7 days:

  1. Hiking at Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto
  2. Cycling tour in Osaka
  3. Barbecuing perfectly marbled beef in Osaka
  4. Wearing a kimono while eating a traditional Japanese meal at a ryokan hotel in Nagano
  5. Standing next to hot spring snow monkeys in Nagano
  6. Savoring melt in your mouth sushi in Tokyo
  7. Slurping ramen loudly in Tokyo
  8. Having dinner at a themed restaurant with no dinner in Shinjuku
  9. Learning how to cook Japanese food with a local
  10. Stuffing my face with green tea everything

Continue reading “Experience Japan with these 10 Activities”

Ho Chi Minh City Airport Taxi Scam

It only took about 10 seconds after stepping out of Tan Son Nhat International Airport when we were almost scammed by a taxi driver! Don’t think because I’m half Vietnamese that I’m immune to these scammers — I’m as naïve and lost as the next person. I’ve always had my fierce mama by my side as my protector and negotiator when I visited Vietnam in the past, but this is the first time that I’m traveling here without her. So let the learning experience and adventure begin! Continue reading “Ho Chi Minh City Airport Taxi Scam”

Mt. Kilimanjaro: The DO’s of Preparing For the Climb

How to bake your own perfect Kilimanjaro Trek cake:

First preheat yourself with excitement because you’re freaking about to climb Africa’s highest peak!

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups of adventure
  • 1 cup of soul searching
  • 1/2 cup of preparation
  • 1 tbsp of fitness
  • A dash of adrenaline
  • And a sprinkle of luck!

Check out my list of Do’s and what to pack for your Kili climb. Why no “Don’ts”? Well if you follow the Do’s, there wouldn’t be a need for the Don’ts, right?

Continue reading “Mt. Kilimanjaro: The DO’s of Preparing For the Climb”

Taichung: National Museum of Natural Science

It’s our first day in Taichung and since my brother enjoys going to museums, we decided to visit the National Museum of Natural Science. Also, it was blazing hot out, so going to an air conditioned building to escape the heat was heaven. Unbeknownst to us, this museum’s target audience is local elementary and middle schoolers and not to foreigners. Everything was in Chinese with no English translations, therefore, it was difficult for me to expand my knowledge about the earth and how we evolved — ha.

The only enjoyable and cool aspect of this museum is the life-like T-Rex dinosaurs (in addition to the air conditioning of course).  I wanted to climb up to touch them, but there was staff sitting close by to monitor little hooligans like me — though, he was elderly so I don’t think he could’ve caught speedy ‘ol me.

If you’re still interested in going while in Taichung, I suggest going earlier in the day when they open, around 11 am, before the daily field trip rush from local schools.

 

Taichung: Hung’s Mansion Hotel Review

After spending two wonderful days at Sun Moon Lake, we left with a better knowledge of the regional tea as well as being well caffeinated from it. Still wired from the caffeine, we decided to stay in Taichung to explore the city for a couple days instead of catching the high speed rail back to Taipei. We booked the hotel literally 15 minutes before arriving to the Taichung, but thanks to Tripadvisor, our last minute booking took us to a wonderful hotel.  Continue reading “Taichung: Hung’s Mansion Hotel Review”

Sun Moon Lake : Tea Ceremony

What an amazing and unexpected surprise that I’m here at Chung Tea Company, an award-winning tea producer. I’m about to experience 2 hours worth of glorious tea tasting during my visit at Sun Moon Lake! Before coming to Taipei, I knew that I wanted to experience a tea tasting/ceremony somewhere in Taiwan– I just didn’t know where or how I would manage to do it, but I knew that I have to and I won’t leave Taiwan until I accomplished it. Well, the Universe heard my cry and granted me this great opportunity.   Continue reading “Sun Moon Lake : Tea Ceremony”