One of the things I will
miss most because of this pandemic is an annual trip abroad which I’ve been
blessed with these past 4 years. But that’s just my prediction. Who knows how
God will surprise us? Instead of whining about not being able to travel, I made
use of this lockdown to set up a new travel blog. For now, it will be about my
past trips – sights, God’s travel graces and tips. Check out my Start Here post
to know why I named this Happy Feet and Travel B.A.G. Allow this blog to
transport you to the places I’ve visited. Today, I’ll start a series on the
Land of the Rising Sun. Fly with me now to Japan!
Our family trip to
Japan was a grand treat for my landmark birthday. I was turning (mumbles
incoherently) so I wanted my sons with me. They were only pre-teens the last
time we traveled abroad together. My sons didn’t want to join a regular tour
because of the hectic schedule. I nixed touring on our own because I didn’t
want the stress of getting lost or harassed on this special trip. The free and
easy tour with a personal guide had the best features of both options. Naturally,
it was more expensive than a regular packaged tour but hey, other people throw
lavish parties on their (mumbles incoherently)th birthday. This probably cost the same or was
cheaper.
These were the features
of our “chauffeured” tour (in quotation marks because our guide wasn’t the
iconic uniformed driver with a limo but a nice lady with her big van):
Airport Pick-up
Just like a regular
tour group, we were picked up at the airport. The difference is the van was all
ours. My 2 sons and I sprawled comfortably in a van that could fit around 12
people.
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| Our "chauffeured" van |
Accommodation
We did not stay in
hotels except for one night in Shizuoka on the way from Tokyo to Osaka. In
Tokyo, we stayed at a cozy 2-bedroom condotel. It had a kitchen, a living room
with a tv, a balcony and a washing machine. This was where I first encountered that
feature of Japanese life we appreciated the most – toilets that pamper you.
Ours had the sound of birds chirping when you sit on the warmed-up throne. Another
plus was their clean-up service.
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| Our 2-bedroom condotel in Shinjuku, Tokyo |
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| Our condotel in Osaka |
It’s a good thing our
guide helped us get into the condotels. It was our first time to experience the
process where nobody is at a front desk to check you in. We were just given a passcode
to input into a huge lock. When it opened, the key to the unit was inside.
Meals
Unlike a full package
tour, our meals were not included. It gave us the freedom to splurge or skimp
on our budget (mostly skimp to make up for the higher priced tour). It also gave
us a wider range of meal experience. It went from home (or rather condotel)
cooked when I’d buy from the grocery and just whip up something for breakfast
to quick meals bought from a convenience store – 7 11 and Family Mart mostly (I
have a funny story about this later). We got to eat in sushi bars like Sushi
Zanmai that had a conveyor belt running the length of the bar. We sampled teishoku
or set meals in this reasonably-priced restaurant that served what would
normally be eaten in Japanese homes – probably their version of lutong bahay
ni Inang. There were also places where we had to punch in our orders in
machines. A novelty for us at that time. Of course, we also tried the ramen
houses, a special request by my boys. The one in Osaka came highly recommended
by friends. My most memorable meal was at the Tsukiji Fish Market where they
had the biggest tuna I’d ever seen. We also had a laugh at the Filipino
translations of their dishes.
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| Jaffy's FB post about Sushi Zanmai |
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| Ootoya's teishoku |
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| The boys' must-try ramen |
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| In Tsukiji Fish Market's menu English translation: Chef's recommended nigiri Filipino translation: Bahala ang chef rice ball (LOL) |
Now to my story. I have
a friend who went to Japan before we did. She posted her first meal was from
Family Mart. I teased her for going to Japan just to experience that when there
were already outlets in the Philippines. I found it so funny our first meal
would also be from Family Mart 😊 When you’ve just
arrived and don’t know where to get food, a convenience store is after all a bright
idea. They have a good enough selection of sandwiches and rice meals.
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| Convenience store-bought breakfast |
Itinerary
In a regular packaged
tour, you’d be herded to the places the tour provider has mapped out for you each
day. Although we also had a pre-arranged itinerary, it was flexible. Our tour
guide would go over the itinerary in the morning and ask if that was okay. On
our first day, for instance, we wanted to go to mass first, it being a Sunday.
Then after lunch, we asked for an easier day. My younger son Buddy had not
slept for a couple of days to get all his work submitted before our departure.
We brought him back to the condo to sleep and Jaffy, my elder son, and I spent
the afternoon exploring Isetan and Takashimaya (with me pretending I could
afford to buy the glamorous stuff they had there).
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| "Window shopping lang tayo anak." |
Another time, I asked
our guide to stop at the Imperial Palace so I can take pictures of a swan on
the moat when she had just planned a drive-by (”On your left is the Imperial
Palace” type of thing).
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| "STOP THE VAN, I WANT TO SHOOT THE SWAN!!!" |
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| And there's my perfect shot. |
In Kyoto, I asked her
to give us time to explore the shops near Arashiyama Bamboo Grove on foot. My
yoga friend told me about this charming chocolate shop there and I wanted to
look for it. A free and easy tour gives you the choice to see more of what you
want to see.
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| Arashiyama shopping street |
Schedule
Just as our itinerary
was flexible, our schedule was also at our leisure. Whereas packaged tours
would require you to be ready at a particular time so you can keep to the
itinerary, I could request the guide we leave when I have cajoled my children
to be ready. Otherwise, I’d get into a fit trying to haul them out of bed. Of
course, for the long drive, I put my foot down and told them what time we had
to get going.
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| Leisurely drive from Tokyo to Osaka |
However, there was a
downside to this leisurely schedule. Since we were in Japan during fall, dusk
came early. There were a couple of places, we didn’t get to see enough of
because it was getting dark.
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| When you start off late, this is what you get - a photo in the dark of the already-closed Kiyomizu Temple in the very far background :( |
Parking and Toll Fees
Transportation charges for
tour packages should include everything and be paid pre-departure. But our
guide did not tell our travel agent we would have to pay for parking and toll
fees (which are pretty steep in Japan). I was surprised when she mentioned this
on the road to Osaka which was midway into our tour. We suddenly had to set
aside money we thought we could use for shopping. It’s a good thing we still
had cash on us. Tip: make sure your travel agent clears this with the guide.
Communication
We were advised to rent
a pocket wifi when we got to the airport. But since we arrived in Tokyo at
almost midnight, the shops were closed. Luckily the guide had an extra wi-fi
which she lent to us. This was fine when the 3 of us were together but became a
problem when we got separated in Universal Studios. We were in one of the shops
in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter when Buddy said he was going to the
toilet. After a few minutes, I felt I needed to go too, so I told Jaffy to
follow Buddy and tell him where we will meet up. When I was done, I met Jaffy
outside and he told me he couldn’t find Buddy in the men’s room. AND I
PANICKED!!! There was a massive crowd then as it was the Halloween weekend. It
was nighttime and it would be a nightmare if we lost each other. After praying to
God and all the saints in heaven, we found him near the shop we last saw each
other in.
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| It would be a nightmare to get lost in this Halloween crowd |
The best thing would be
to have a pocket wi-fi each or buy a local sim each, so you stay connected.
Guide
In our pre-departure
briefing, we were told the tip for the guide is at least US$10 per day per
person. This was 4 years ago, but I checked, and this amount is still
recommended as minimum for the free and easy tour. Normally, it’s US$5 for
Asia. You can give more if you’re very pleased with the service. Set the money
aside from the start, so you don’t spend it. I was very willing to give this as
we were incredibly happy with our guide. She was so nice and we bonded as solo
moms do. She bought us bread for breakfast, Japanese snacks to take to
Disneyland, fruits for our long trip and even gave me pearl earrings as a
going-away present.
When I was handing her
the tip at the airport, she vehemently refused to accept it though. Maybe
because of that miscommunication about the parking and toll fees.
Anyway, as we left her
after she assisted us in getting our luggage checked in, I felt I was saying
goodbye to a friend.
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| With our guide and fellow solo mom, Toyoko |
