Shall talk about Osaka first, where we spent our first 2 days. The train ride from Tokyo to Osaka took about 3 hours and i slept for the most part of it. We overnighted on the plane and i was dead tired! The worst part was lugging around a semi-spoilt luggage that gave way just after landing.
Osaka's weather was rather humid when we reached and we spent the evening at Namba, which was a huge place with many shops and foodie places.
Our first stopover was a waffles place called MAISON DE GIGI.
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Although food was just average, i really liked the cozy interior of the second floor. Talking and breathing in the slower pace was just what i needed to recover from the mad travelling.
We spent the rest of the night shopping until the shops closed (about 9 pm) and returned the next day for seafood brunch!
This entire lane is lined with seafood stalls and shops on both sides. We ended up at this shop on the left as it had a seating area inside. There were many foreigners, which got a little squeezy afterwards but nonetheless, we managed to enjoy the sweet freshness.
In actual fact, the lobster was really huge! i loved the unagi the most with its sweet sauce. The assorted sashimi was also good. i'm not really a fan of scallops so i didn't enjoy it as much as Amanda.
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Of course, having fresh seafood for brunch calls for a commemorative photo!
We headed down to Kyoto for our geisha photo shoot, which was a very interesting experience! i chose the maiko makeover which is white-faced and my students commented that i look like the heaven and earth ayataka advertisement lol.
Anyway, i chose this picture to show how elaborate the kimono designs were. The obi was tied very tightly and i couldn't yawn while sitting down. The whole outfit was long and heavy as well. i felt a tonne lighter when i finally got it off.
No visit to japan is complete without a trip to the temple. And so we did.
This is the place where you pray for a lot and get the person to give you the corresponding number. Both Amanda and i got the exact same number when we prayed about relationships. She said that it must be our lucky number, haha.
Dinner was at KONCHIKICHIN, the best udon i've ever eaten! The soup was so yummy that i finished almost the entire bowl.
Mine and hers. This shop sells super good and crispy tempura as well.
By the second night, i had done most of my souvenir shopping in Osaka, which is a lot cheaper than Tokyo apparently.
Our hearty brunch after check-out was at HIRO CAFE, located inside the Daimaru Department Store. Reviewed to have good coffee, i must attest to this fact. i had the autumn blend coffee that was lighter in taste. Fragrant and freshly brewed!
Their beef sandwich did not disappoint either.
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Happiness is starting off the day with good coffee and happy brunch :)
