Kansai Thru Pass

So I realised that I haven't done my post on Kansai Thru Pass. KTP, for short - are passes which are available for foreign visitors in the Kansai region (i.e. Osaka and Kyoto), in either 2-day or 3-day passes. We purchased our passes at JTB Ion while securing our flights and accommodation. I think the passes were a fantastic buy, as we relied on the map to navigate through the multitude of stations in Kansai and the passes provided discounts on almost all the attractions! The down-side is that the pass is valid for a consecutive period only - yeah, we wanted to use the pass on the first two days and last day of our trip - and that the pass cannot be used on Japan Railways. Ah well. There are plenty of alternative routes to go around as the routes are pretty extensive. Check out the website for more info; such as the route map, discounted attractions and suggested itineraries.

Here's a brief on how we utilised our 3-day KTP:
- Limited express from Osaka Kansai International Airport to Hotel Vista Grande Osaka (Namba station). An additional express fare is required.
- Tempozan Harbor Village / Kaiyukan Aquarium (Osakako Station), where we got a KTP discount of 100yen off on admission
- Instant Ramen Museum (Ikeda Station), where we got a free notebook with our KTP
- Osaka Castle Museum (Tanimachi 4-chome Station, which is apparently the closest station to the castle according to ZX's Google Maps), and we got a KTP discount of another 100yen off admission
- Shinsaibashisuji Shopping Center (Shinsaibashi Station)
- Rapid Express to Nara (Kintetsu Nara Station)

Not a fantastic use of the KTP, I know, but the map helped immensely when I was planning for the rest of the trip. So we decided to purchase another 2-day KTP!
- Matsui Bekkan (Karasuma Oike Station)
- Toei Kyoto Studio Park (Uzumasa-Koryuji Station), where we got 200yen off admission
- Rinku Premium Outlets (Rinku-Town). If you are heading here, remember to check out their website for promos, such as this online coupon vouchers for overseas visitors.

Again, it doesn't seem like we maxed out our passes, but only because we decided to give up our ambitious plans and skip the following attractions! These will remain on our to-do until we visit Osaka/Kyoto again :):)
- Kids Plaza Osaka (Ogimachi Station), where we would have gotten 20% off admission
- Open-Air Museum of Old Japanese Farm Houses (Ryokuchi-Koen Station)
- Kinkakuji, or Kyoto Golden Pavilion (Kitaoji Station)
- Chion-ji Temple (Sanjo Station), but ZX wanted to hike from our ryokan instead
- Kyoto Imperial Palace (Imadegawa Station)
- Osaka Takoyaki Museum (Nishikujo Station, where we would have to transfer to JR Yumesaki Line, Universal City Station)

The KTP map was a godsend albeit overwhelming at first glance. I admit I used the Ctrl + F function extensively, and my 'Where's Wally' training helped too ;) As for the actual travelling, ZX and I got a bit lost on the first day so we trudged to the train office where we were pleasantly surprised to find that they had a dedicated counter for English speaking tourists. Phew.

In retrospect, I'm quite amazed that I managed to plan our Japan itinerary while juggling work at one of my peak periods then. Now that I'm a certified bum, I must say that my Taiwan itinerary is going at a snail's speed. Workaholic? I've been unwell since my bumming started, something which always happened when I was on leave as well - which I dubbed on-leave syndrome. Hope I get well soon so I can enjoy being a certified bum :):)

Ending this post with some of our train snaps!

Ready, Packed, Go!

First things first, make sure all passports are valid and made (i.e. ours valid, Heidi's made). I remember that I had to tag along with my Mum at the customs counters when we went overseas as kids. The photos of my sis, bro and me were included in her passport as her children until we got old enough to get our own. So being the suaku that I am, me thought that we had to do the same for Heidi too. Fast forward to this century (ok I exaggerate), we realised that the tagging system is way arcane and now everyone has their own passports - even cherubs a few months old!

That sorted out, we had to decide on a passport photo and decided to go with one from my sis's boyfriend's collection of snaps.

This is my favourite photo of the collection, but for obvious reasons we couldn't use it as the passport photo.

So anyways, ZX went to get the passport made at ICA, and we got notified via post once her passport was ready. We made an e-appointment on their website and got to collect the passport once we got there! *beams* By the look of many charcoal black faces in the overcrowded waiting room, evidently they didn't make their pre-appointment booking.

Next thing was to pack for us. It's really easy to pack for me because I basically just throw the minimum number of clothes + 2 extra sets + toiletries and I'm good to go. Suppose that's the seasoned travel-for-shopping syndrome, or perhaps the Girl Guide in me - the latter sounds more pro, thankyouverymuch.

BUT with a baby? (Just look at my diaper bag when we go out for a couple of hours and you'll know what I mean.) For Heidi, I packed:

- Thermometer

- Pram (read here) - this was generously loaned to us by my colleague and was a lifesaver. It was a travel-friendly make, i.e. umbrella flat fold, and the handles lent themselves to our day packs and shopping bags!

- Sling - we aren't for the baby carriers because of the strain it puts on the baby's pelvic area so we bought the sling when Heidi was born. Unfortunately, 10kg means the sling might not be able to take the weight so this was a just-in-case item.

- Heidi's chouchou

- Sack Seat (read here)

- Feeds: Hot water flask, Nalgene bottle, Milk bottles, Milk container, Milk powder, Bottle brush, Cleaning Liquid - for sterilisation of the bottles, we just did the old school method of pouring the boiling hot water over and into the bottles. We tried the 'throw all the bottles into the sink and pour water over them' method but frankly, that's utterly gross because you don't know what the previous hotel guest did in the sink, or the chambermaid for that matter. For hot water, remember to take note of how to say it in the native language of the country you are visiting! (read here)

- Nappy Changing: Pull-up pants, Normal Diapers, Changing Mat, Wet wipes, Tissue, Desitin - we decided to get a pack of pull-up pants to make for easy changing in the plane. As for the choice of Desitin, we like that it relieves and keeps diaper rash at bay!

- Food & Snacks - we brought enough bottles of Heinz pureed food but was KS and checked out the range of options in Japan just in case too (see below). As for snacks, ZX checked up on easing your baby's pain due to air pressure in the plane and recommended that we bring along some snacks for Heidi to chew during landing and take-off (as chewing would help with the popping ears). As luck would have it, our plane took 1 hour to clear the runway for take-off so by the time the plane actually took off, Heidi had already had her fill of snacks and refused anymore. We were quite concerned that she would feel the ill effects of the air pressure but she dozed off soon enough (and this was similar on our later flights as well). Sleeping is another recommended 'cure' for air pressure, by the way.

- Toys & Books - ZX also read that you should get your baby a new toy to keep her entertained on the plane (the path of discovery!) as she might be bored with her old toys to be distracted. We got her this really cool Twist & Match Rattle from Infantino (Kiddy Palace). You can twist the top or bottom of the cone and match the gaily coloured halves of the various animals. The top of the toy (not pictured), as the name suggests, is a rattle and makes a nicely beady sound when shaken - you know, some rattles have really annoyingly high pitched shakes. Turn-off. And the bottom of the toy features 3 different colours and 3 different shapes that the baby can twist and turn to his fancy, and each turn makes a creaky sound too. Anyway, all planes are equipped with enough literature, plastic bags and other carriers in the seat pocket for added entertainment! Heidi sure had her own fun with them!

Other stuff on my list:

1. Meds to bring for Heidi (e.g. cold, tummyache, cough)
2. Whether the 3 of us needed flu vaccination - unfortunately, if you do want to err on the side of caution and take the vaccination, you need to get it at least 1 month before travel, evidently we didn't.
3. Check what Jap brands of food suitable for Heidi - this I did at the Toa Payoh NTUC near my office, took note of the ingredients in the snacks and pureed food available since I reckoned there wouldn't be English translations in Japan.

So, like I was saying - packing for Heidi made my bag so damn heavy. And we hauled back a third of them back. Kiasuism - it's contagious.

The One About Temples

Japan is so steeped in cultural history hence the many temples of worship around the country. It's really a must to visit at least one temple to soak in the cultural significance - even if Buddhism is not your faith. Well, picking up from my Nara post (read here), this post is about Todai-ji Temple and the other temples we popped by during our stay in Japan.

Typically when one goes to Japan, the must see temples are like Kinkaku-ji Temple in Kyoto (for its spectacular architecture and genuine gold-leafed roof) or Senso-ji Temple in Tokyo (the city's oldest temple and has an interesting shopping street around it with Japanese souvenirs and snacks to cater to tourists). For us, the 3 temples we went to were Todai-ji Temple & Kofuku-ji Temple, Nara, and Chion-ji Temple, Kyoto - not really top on the tourist sights!

Todai-ji Temple, Nara

As we planned to go to Nara for a half-day trip, we wanted to make our time worthwhile by varying our itinerary (mingling with the deer + admiring the gardens) so we included the Todai-ji Temple too. This temple is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as one of the "Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara", and houses the world's largest bronze Buddha statue. Apparently, the deer who roam the grounds of temple freely are Sika deer and are regarded as messengers of the gods in the Shinto religion! [Wiki] Adult admission is around 500yen (or S$9), which we thought was quite a good rate and small contribution to the maintenance of the monument.

The stone relic at the temple's entrance heralding its proud history as a world monument.

Another signboard within the temple grounds with a brief history of the religious building

ZX was taking random shots of the temple and we laughed so hard when we saw this photo! Talk about candid - these schoolgirls made our day!

Family album shot with the grand, imposing Todai-ji Temple as backdrop! Thanks to the super nice man who offered to take this photo for us :) *Heidi looks a little drowsy here. By the time we reached the end of the pavement to the temple, she had already fallen asleep!*

As with other temples, there is an area for worshippers to cleanse themselves before entering the hall. While visitors usually use the bamboo scoops to clean their hands, the right way (supposedly) is to transfer the water to your hands to rinse your mouth and then spit it out - not drink!

One of the giant lotus petals engraved with Buddhist depictions

Two of the three giant Buddha statues fronting the temple. In comparison to the visitors at the corner of the photo, the statues look really huge right? Some tourists got to go into the area by the altar (like really near to the giant statue) - think they were part of some privileged tour group.

While walking around the temple, one of the Caucasian visitors asked me what this statue was - to which, I sheepishly admitted that I was a tourist as well and I didn't know, but my husband thinks he might be a guard. The guy looks at me and says "Yes, I think so too". (Hullo! I'm neither Buddhist nor Japanese leh!)

Structures on display showing the original temple constructions which were burnt down prior to the current building 

This is one of the supporting beams in the temple, which has a hole apparently the same size as one of the Buddha's nostrils. Popular belief holds that those who can pass through it will be blessed with enlightenment when reincarnated! But to reach the front of the queue might be in your next life too. 

As a parting gesture, we bought charms for love and marriage for our bestest friends getting married :)

Mommy Tip: Look out for diaper-changing loos near the main entrance leading to the temple grounds. We didn't and looked really silly changing Heidi's diaper on the bench in open air! Bet it was super cold for her too... Good thing Heidi was asleep during the time we toured the temple because as a sign of respect, all visitors should be respectful and not scream or make loud noises.

Kofuku-ji Temple, Nara

After the Todai-ji Temple, we made our way to Isuien Garden (but went to Yoshikien Garden instead, read here) and then decided to stop by Kofuku-ji Temple as there was still a pocket of time before we were to head back. We were pleasantly surprised to find out that this was another UNESCO world heritage site! What a treat! There wasn't as big a crowd around (probably because it was close to dinner time) so it was quite serene. Sadly though, the main hall is undergoing construction so there wasn't much to see. Boo.

I was quite happy to see a couple taking their traditional wedding shots in Japanese garb so I included them in my photos of the temple and pagoda - until ZX told me that he heard the couple and photographers conversing in Mandarin -_-" What the...

Back at the side pavement, ZX and Heidi were kind of bored so I gave them a banana of a task!

Unwrapping...

ZX: Wow! Look what I have!

Heidi: Ugh hhhhhh ugh (translation: Papa, I wanttttttttttttt)

Chomp chomp! Mission accomplished! :D

Satisfied, Heidi took her snooze. Aw.

Chion-ji Temple, Kyoto

Our final temple stop in Japan was Chion-ji Temple. The highlight of the temple was the handicraft market, which is Kyoto's biggest with an amazing range of handicrafts. I saw the event on Kyoto Guide (check the website for events happening each month). Unfortunately, we didn't make it in time as it ended at 4 pm so we decided to check out its Maple Viewing light-up after our sumptuous Japanese spread (read here).

We obviously don't have an affinity with the temple though. Google maps informed us that it was within walking distance from our ryokan but they lied! It was super duper far and damnit, we got lost in the park trying to find our way to the temple. Thankfully, a nice lady appeared and brought us to the Chion-ji Temple *thankful* and admission was closed. Wah lauuuuuuu

A promotional shot of the maple viewing light-up at the temple's entrance. Doesn't it look lovely? Shucks.

Looking at this map, we understood why admission was closed before the light-up ended at 9 pm. Even if we had entered the gates, we wouldn't have been able to view anything! Double shucks.

The front view of the temple was so awesome! 

We decided to cheer ourselves up by taking shots anyway!

WHW

Heidi looks really adorable here right? She's wearing her bright pink parka from Fox and equally hot red fleece pants from Mothercare (gifted) to keep her nice and warm :)

Goodbye Chion-ji Temple. Until next time...

Off the beaten track, it's always more interesting right? :)

Food, glorious food!

Since we have been on the topic of food, here are the remaining shots of our yummy treats! :)

Seafood yakisoba at the Tempozan Harbor Village

Savouring our dons at an eatery, a little way off from the Instant Ramen Museum, specialising in agemono (deep-fried dishes)

Indulging in Japanese curry in a Nara eatery housed in a quaint Japanese house, while sipping some nice cold Kirin Lemon. We likeyyyy

Nothing uniquely Japanese here, but this chocolate donut was the bomb. I love how the donut remained so crispy and superbly tasty even at the end of the day! (I had forgotten about it after we bought so much food, that it was just hanging by the side of the pram until we reached the hotel at night.)

This was undoubtedly the worst meal we had (at the Toei Kyoto Studio Park) but doesn't it still look really good? ;)

***

Heidi having a go at the menu too! Here, she's snugly seated in her sack seat which we got from Taka. We were worried that the eateries in Japan might be too small and sans baby chairs, hence we bought this little invention (we were looking for inflatable baby seats but couldn't find it any actual ones being sold in physical stores, only online). It helped us a lot, but I think Heidi definitely prefers being in her baby chair. Doesn't she look darling, though?

Ryokan Experience

The ryokan (Japanese traditional inn) stay was one that ZX and I were very much looking forward to in Japan. According to our very nice travel agent from JTB Ion - I've misplaced her name card but she was a super helpful Japanese lady - the ryokan in Osaka and Nara are pricier than those in Kyoto, so we decided to go with her recommendation in Kyoto.

The inn we got was a nice little place called Matsui Bekkan. It took a while for us to find it from the station as we had to traverse through many small alleys and roads, but once we got there, it seemed so easy to get around!

As we dumped our bags immediately after reaching the inn to dash to Toei Kyoto Studio Park (read here), the only shots I got of the place were after dusk and relatively unspectacular. Check out their webpage for clearer pictures.

ZX and Heidi waiting patiently

The main draw of staying at a ryokan is the closest you can get to experiencing an authentic traditional Japanese homestay with the works - tatami mats, sliding doors and donning a yukata. For us though, we were sooooo looking forward to the food!

We booked our package with dinner and were eagerly awaiting our sumptuous feast as we made our way up to our suite :) They brought out our dinner table and seats, and started to lay out our cutlery and dishes.

Heidi and I listening intently to the earnest explanation of our dinner. Unfortunately, my Japanese is zilch so we were quickly left to savour our meal after the question marks started sprouting...

Food, anyone?

Heidi got started on the container ~ this was basically how she entertained herself throughout our dinner. She wrecked everything around and crawled and crawled and crawled until her energy dipped. Gave us some peace and quiet to enjoy our food though ;) *Thanks sweetheart!*

***

One of the key aspects of the Japanese culinary experience is the presentation of their food. Basically, everything looks so darn good that you can't bear to eat it. As if. You ready for our gastronomic flashback?

All the pictures were my individual portion, while ZX had his own too. In addition (!), we had a huge tub of rice to ourselves and boy did we enjoy the food or what! They say everything tastes better in Japan, and they ain't kidding! (Except on the last tour that my family and I went around Tokyo and Osaka. I have no idea how they managed to squeeze out all the lousiest meal providers in Japan during that one week. Kudos for nothing.) Here, the food tasted as good or even better than it looked!

***

After the feasting, the ladies came back in to clear up and make our beds. Ah, the luxury ~ this truly is what a holiday should be :)

The thoughtfulness of the Japanese experience even extends to the intricate origami crane and accompanying card with well wishes for a restful sleep. Each guest was presented with this crane. Each, meaning baby Heidi got her mini crane too :) *Notice the 3 different coloured/patterned cranes - green for ZX, pink for Heidi & red for me!*

This was just one night. 

The next morning, we were ushered to the grand hall where we had our 3-course breakfast served to us as well. Unlike the proletariat-style buffet dining area of typical hotels, the grand hall setting was an intimate setting where guests of each room had their own table and seats reserved for them. The tables were set apart to give each group their own space but conducive enough for that warm communal ambience.

In ryokans, the other all-important feature is the public bath. Japanese expound the benefits of the hot spring and despite this being my fourth trip to Japan, I have not grown the nerve to visit the public bath in my birthday suit. ZX was quite game to try it ~ but was too zonked out after our long day (we didn't go to bed after our sumptuous spread, but made our way to a nearby temple after getting lost when we discovered it wasn't very 'nearby'). So Wasted Right?!

So anyways, after the too-short stay at the inn, we had to bid a fond farewell to the place and their friendly staff. In typical polite Japanese fashion, they gave us a grand goodbye:

Taking a shot by the ornate and simply breathtaking kimono piece which was on display by their in-house store. Check out Heidi the poor dear, simply exhausted by the excitement we caused by my frenetic packing to leave. (We thought we had another hour but it was already check-out time!)

Wishing us all the best and hoping that we will be back again. Don't ask me why ZX looks so pained.

In all, this was such a FANTASTIC experience that I would love to be back again. Perhaps next time I will have the guts to hit that public bath!