Did this trip without the other 2... Guilty as I write, for this trip I didn't do much homework into the cities which I visited as it was just a tag-along trip with my cousin, aunt and my aunt's friends. The whole itinerary was fully planned by 2 of the aunties. And I do still have much problems getting my geographical orientation and understanding of Japan, so yes, don't ask me if these cities I name are part of Nagoya etc, frankly I don't have much of an idea. But in general this trip was meant to be visiting some of the Japan's World Heritage sites and also some of the preserved old villages. Some of the village houses do still have people staying in them, and some have been converted as exhibit grounds for visitors to see. I shall only be posting some pictures up and naming the cities which I think is worth a visit if you have time to explore. I don't want to end up feeding people with the wrong info, so people you have to do some research online.
These places are very popular with the local tourists rather than foreigners. Partially they are not that easy to get to especially when you do not know a single word of Japanese or read Chinese characters. This may pose as a challenge if you are travelling free & easy, especially when you have to take their local trains or buses. But of cause if you have will there's always a way.
Some tips which came on top of my mind when travelling in Japan (purely my personal opinion)
- Bring stacks of cash (majority of the places don't accept credit cards. Only departmental stores do. Unless of course you are in big cities like Tokyo and Osaka. But don't bet on it especially when you intend to shop the streets. And if you are thinking of locating some ATM in some of the cities, good luck to you if you ever find one.)
- If you are city hopping to some extend, be sure to check the train and bus schedules. And pls pls pls take note of their season's exception (meaning, sometimes in certains months, the bus only operates on certain hours.). We've learnt it the hard way... haha the day we arrived, we were left stranded at the bus-stop with NO bus coming coz of change in schedule for end of autumn, so we ended up having to haul a taxi to ferry us back to the station, which of coz was much more expensive. But thankful to the kind Jap souls, we did get on the taxi and reach our destination safely and timely.
- Always always get a map of the place (including train routes)... get an English one & also a Japanese one. When you ask directions, the locals won't understands the English map, so that's where the Jap one comes in.
- Check out for day passes for transportation, that can save you a lot of money on transport. Seriously. Especially local buses, the fare chart jumps like stock-market shares, and don't worry you will also be watching the chart like as if you are trading... Sometimes it does make your heart leap once in a while. Just that this "bus market" goes up and never comes down.
okies too long a post to digest.... this will be it... pictures will come in the next few posts.
Bijyodaira Nature Walk
morning dew
some lalang-like plant which I saw along the way down
threading on thin line
view from Bijyodaira
our lunch at Tateyama
when we stepped foot into Tateyama. Totally soaked.
skiiers on their way
Mikuli Lake (volcano crater)
