Yatsugatake/Shirakawa-go/Takayama - 6 April 2013

Day 3 in Japan

 By 8am, we were packed onto our coach from Yatsugatake Royal Hotel heading for....

First stop this morning, Daio Wasabi Farm. Finally! I get to see the farm that makes my nose thoroughly clear everytime I bite into wasabi! FYI, I learnt on my first day in Japan that wasabi is only eaten with sashimi* and this dork eats every Japanese meal laden with wasabi.....Well...I've changed! *wink wink*

*en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sashimi

Sashimi (Japanese: 刺身, pronounced [saɕimiꜜ]; /səˈʃiːmiː/) is a Japanese delicacy consisting of very fresh raw meat or fish sliced into thin pieces.

Soon, I was beaming with happiness. What I saw made all the losses I've had so meaningful because better things were in stored for me. 

Sakura...in full bloom! So so beautiful

Cherry Blossom aka Sakura...closed up shot

And then....something else made me even happier! Yes...you have guessed it! Ice Cream...Wasabi flavour!!!

Needless to say...I know my wasabi. The ice cream had rich creamy milk, slightly sweet and obviously tasted of wasabi but, not overwhelming....*lick lick* This will be our 5th ice cream in 3 days since we i.e my sis-in-law; Karen & I arrived in Japan. 

Incidentally, most food in Japan is either sweet or salty (in the extreme sense) hence, it kept us (entire tour group) puzzled that Japanese can live up to a century! If I were to stay on in Japan, I would definitely be a diabetic in no time and will be popping pills to reduce my hypertension (since I do have a family history-both diabetes & hypertension). FYI, no chili served in any restaurant ya. Yes...no chili sauce, bird's eye chili, red chili, green chili or jalapeno...No, Nyet, Boh!

FYI, wasabi thrives in fresh spring water that flows endlessly. A root plant just like carrots. The wasabis are planted in between small sized rocks and not sand as they need constant flow of fresh spring water to grow.

 
Mind you, these wasabi ain't cheap. 1,000yen (RM33.70 based on 0.0337) for a stem about 5-6 inches in length! WHOA!! Hmmmm...I start to wonder if the ones we have back in Malaysia are genuine or mixed with flour...hmmm....

Next stop, Shirakawago Village a well preserved UNESCO world heritage site. You get to view old farmhouses with steep roofs resembling two hands folded in prayer. By the time we reach here, it was very cold and raining. Many couldn't take photos because....they were shivering in cold and was unable to stabilize their cameras!!! Yet this dork is able to do a stunt! Heyyyy...I did say I'm nuts, didn't I? Anyway, I've never been a normal person but I do have a grounded hunk at home that brings me back to 'earth'.

Final stop for the day was Hirayu Water Fall - 64 meters drop is featured in Japan's top 100 water falls and amongst the top 3 in Hida. 

It was freezing cold by now, windy and raining at the same time. We are, fortunate or unfortunate, have experienced 4 seasons in just 3 days! AMAZING! Fall/Autumn too? And why not? Did you know that the Sakura is so fragile that each time a strong wind blows, the petals just fall off...awesome to see them scattering and floating with the wind...good experience. Hence, it is a MUST to visit Japan between late March and early April to witness these wonderful natural beauty that lasts only for a short period.

It was difficult to stay out long as it was pouring, windy and was freezing cold. Some brave souls like me walked up to get a closed up shot of the waterfalls while the senior citizens stayed on the coach to keep warm.

On the way to Hirayu Waterfalls

Ski slope at Hirayu Waterfalls

Hirayu waterfalls in background, too mushy to walk any further

After the freeze, it was time for hot springs spa!!! YAY!!! We are going naked AGAIN!!! This time, we were no longer shy BUT we still used the handtowels to block out some *sensored* parts and couldn't be bothered with the larger mass as everyone has the same things except in different sizes....errr...I think in this particular case....size DOES matter :)

We stayed a night at the Hida Plaza Hotel in Hida. Below is our set dinner before we went for our 2nd free hot spa. Later on after the set meal was taken, they added some other food but was too busy eating & talking to take the pictures. 

And, I took a pix of the friendly waitress that was assigned to take care of our needs. She took a few pictures with the others in the tour group in serious straight face but when it came to me...this was what she did automatically....I guess it takes one to recognise the other...ehhehehehehee...afterall...birds of a feather flock together...no? *flap flap*

Small township, nothing much and we were afraid to explore more than a block from the hotel as there weren't many street lights. So we shared our 2nd can of beer for the night to keep us warm and me in perspiration!! We had our first can the night before.

 
If you have missed out of on the 1st & 2nd days in Japan, do check out the following blogs :

1) Day 1 : http://superbiker48.blogspot.com/2013/04/tokyo-city-tour-kobe-beef-4-april-2013.html
2) Day 2 : http://superbiker48.blogspot.com/2013/04/tokyomt-fujiyatsugatake-5-april-2013.html

My take out from today :

• I like smaller towns. As Japan is hilly & mountainous, I noticed that a lot of their townships are build on flat lands surrounded by mountains. Not many on highlands.
• Generally, Japanese are honest, diligent & hardworking people.
• I learnt that Japanese are very proud of their language. The map given to tourists at Shirakawa-go Village was all in Japanese!! Hey! How do you expect us to move about? Here's one example :

• Food is either sweet or salty. Nothing in between nor sweet and sour nor spicy.
• Again, I simply love their clean toilets. 3 days here and numerous toilet breaks, I only witnessed 1 unkempt toilet that stank a tad. 
• The tour group and Karen can certify that I can truly withstand a whole lot of cold. During the entire trip, I rarely adorn my jacket and was merely wearing summer clothings in Japan. Hmmm... No wonder Rocker57 calls me "Polar Bear" and said that I should live in a fridge whenever I complained of feeling hot back home.... it seems to make more sense now......  
• Although our guide Ricky speaks fluent Japanese after having 'resided' in Japan for over a decade, his general knowledge of Japan's culture, heritage, etc is surely lacking as he has yet again shared more of Singapore & his family whom he misses very much. Siggggh.

Check me out soon as I crack my head to recall what I did next....*Yawn yawn*.....blurp blurp

いつも幸せ滞在

Itsumo shiawase taizai

"stay happy always" in Japanese

Tokyo/Mt Fuji/Yatsugatake : 5 April 2013

Day 2 in Japan.

To read Day 1 ~Tokyo City Tour & Kobe Beef; go to 
http://superbiker48.blogspot.com/2013/04/tokyo-city-tour-kobe-beef-4-april-2013.html
to know more :)

6am local time....Ring Ring...picks up phone and said "hello?" *music in the background*. That's my Hilton, Tokyo wake up call. Perhaps if I had said "Moshi, moshi" maybe someone would answer me :)   (tongue in cheek)

At Hilton's coffee house, I had the best mixed omelet ever! Took the picture with the melted cheese oozing out but sadly...pictures not available. Read Day 1 to understand what happened. Back to the omelet - it was cooked just right with just the right combination of mixed ingredients, cheese oozing out, soft & moist on the inside and cooked to perfection on the outside! Kudos to the egg chef at Hilton, Tokyo. What a perfect way to start a fresh day. FYI, I also ate a banana....So???...Supposedly to be expensive in Tokyo, that's why MUST eat. I ate it for fibre but since the tour guide says it is expensive, might as well eat it, right?

Next in the itinerary was Shinjuku. Stated in itinerary but never visited! What??? Instead, we headed straight for Soba Making.

My sis-in-law Karen & I at the start of our Soba making

Our petite Soba master with the strength of a sumo wrestler!!!

 

Viola! Our handmade soba ready to be eaten! Of course it was delicious :)

The 25 of us were divided into groups as the outlet only had 3 'gurus' to teach us the art of soba making. We had to take turns to try our hands in soba making step by step. But like most organisations, we also had 'management' people that doesn't dirty their hands but good in telling you what to do & what not to do! *eyes rolling* They are everywhere mind you!

We had a ball trying to emulate our guru, Much to her dismay, both teams under her watch had holes in the pasta! But she demurely & artfully saved us from embarrassment by helping us to 'stitch' up the holes by pinching the dough and rolling it out to perfection. Hey....its our first attempt ok? Ahem....We ate what we made for lunch, needless to say...it was goooood! Psssttt...its the sauce that complements the soba as well as the huge tempura prawns....yummylicious.

Next, Oshino Hakkai Village - where 8 spring pools gush forth, fed by currents that flows from Mt Fuji. If only I had pictures of it to show you how crystal clear the spring water is. Well, no point harping on things you have no control of. But it was great to witness groundnuts the size of a huge man's thumb! Again, we have to have the macha ice-cream at 300yen per cone (RM10.11), 50 yen(RM1.70) cheaper from the one I had in Tokyo.

After Oshino Hakkai Village, we were enroute to Mt Fuji!!! The world famous symbol of Japan. From a distance, Mt Fuji was mesmerising! The sheer beauty of the mountain sent everyone in the bus oooh-ing and aahh-ing and needless to say... clicking away. I was not to be sidelined and did what all tourist did...click, click, click endangering myself in the coach moving from one seat to another to get the best angle.....for nought.

The opening act before Mt Fuji was luncheon at Lake Kawaguchiko (see pix below). It was here that my idiotic camera went bonkers on me and deleted over 200+ pictures I took of Tokyo and first part of today!!! Enough said, I went nearby in search of Sakura to compensate for all the lost pictures. This lake reminds me of Queenstown, New Zealand. Of course, Lake Kawaguchiko pales in comparison BUT it does have its own unique beauty.

Did you know that as you climb the road to Mt Fuji, there is a short 10-20seconds stretch of road that is called the Melody road because if you keep really quiet, sssshhhh..... you can actually hear soft music as the vehicle passes over it! Amazing!!! 

It's April and this picture depicts the route leading to Mt Fuji.

YES! I have 'conquered' Mt Fuji at Station 4.

As we waited for the clouds to clear....snap snap snap

Clear view of Mt Fuji, after several attempts

Mt Fuji and me...love at first sight.

 Before we left, I chance upon this :

By far, the bestest of best corn my sis-in-law and I have ever eaten. The roasted corn was sweet & juicy without any addictives. Am salivating just thinking about it. Oh yes...the size is yes, you have guessed it - HUGE! Price : 350yen (RM11.80) 
We put a night at Yatsugatake Royal Hotel. 

This is the place I unveiled my own 'Guinness book of record' by going naked (first time ever!!!) just to experience soaking in the in-house hot springs spa. Ahem....no cameras allowed....so no photos, pleaseeee I am saving you the agony of having to puke after seeing all those naked photos!!! But I like the fact that they gave us nice attires to walk to the spa with only a hand towel to cover our precious privates...hehehehe....

 
What happened at the spa? What? ZzzzzZzzzz.... *censored*

My take out from today's visit :

• Enjoyed the soba making. Easy to eat, yet so much work just to make it. More work than making 'pan mee'! Makes me appreciate eating soba more. Not that I was a fan of cold noodles but my perspective has changed since the day I laid my own hands on the flour...two types of flour to make soba, did you know that? Well, now you do.
• Japanese people are clean people. They clean after they eat irrespective whether you are patron in a restaurant or in a hotel, how civic minded can that be? Awesome!
• Being naked isn't that scary once you have psych yourself. Really!! I did it and I will do it again. I am proud of my spares, cellulites, moles and scars! Ooops, did I just describe myself? Ewwww.....gross!
• I love the toilets in Japan!! They are very clean with heated seats during winter & spring so that you don't get a frozen butt! So so comforting. Some even have music too. Awesome, right?

• Due to high living standards, things are costly. But if I were to be earning in GBP or USD...ahhh...so affordable!
• An enchanting mountain that never cease to mesmerize everyone that first set their eyes on it, that's Mt Fuji.

Meet me again tomorrow to know what happens on Day3...

Until then....
  

世話をする

Sewa o suru        meaning Take care.

Tokyo City Tour & Kobe Beef!! - 4 April 2013

Day 1 : The only pix I took with my mobile, those in my camera...GONE! GONE! GONE!

I was supposed to be in eastern Europe but due to unforeseen circumstances, I'd to change my annual vacation to Japan minus the presence of Rocker57 who has already been to Japan some years back. This is my first time stepping into Japan and also a long time since I joined a guided tour. I had my sis-in-law; Karen i.e Rocker57's sister in tow as chaperone :)

Although it's a 7D/5N tour, the real tour is only 5 days while the rest of the time was spent on the plane, normal, right? Hmm..right. We took the midnight flight from Singapore as we were flying SIA. Couldn't sleep a wink! Nope, not excited if that is what you were thinking....just the hormones playing games with me! Sigh.

Yet, I wasn't tired at all when we touched down at Haneda airport in Tokyo at 5.30am local time. So, where are the photos? Yikes! Sadly, my 1.5 days photos were deleted due to camera technicalites. That's what to expect with a dummy camerawoman like me! Heehehe... So, first 1.5days in Japan is now a BLANK BLANK BLANK except for the vivid recollections in my 70% water based brain!

But! Being the ever positive me, I overcame it shortly after complaining to a few people, namely Karen (rocker57's sister), a photo enthusiast in our tour group and of course my Rock!! Blah blah blah....sad sad sad....OK! What's next? Anyway, these were the places I visited but no photos to show... Incidentally, how cool is it that our bus has....... WIFI!!! Yay!!! Was able to chat & send pix (later on after lesson learnt) with Rocker57 via whatsapp. So cool, man!

First stop : Asakusa Temple - the most famous and popular Buddhist temple built in the 7th century. Doesn't appeal to me much as the structure has been rebuilt and rebuilt due to two or three earthquakes disaster. In fact, it looks new! 

Facing the Asakusa temple is Nakasime Street with over 50 shops & stalls offering local delicacies and tourist souvenirs. We (sister-in-law and I) bought and tasted some local street food. Most of the shops sell similar things. It was here we ate deep fried tempura sweet potato balls similar to that of our Malaysian Goreng Pisang (fried banana fritters) where even the prince of Japan visited. And how did I know that? Simply because there was a long queue and...and there were huge enlarged newspaper cuttings of his highness visit, DUH! The visiting time given by the tour guide was way too much. So much so, we sat under the shades for over 35mins!

Next stop was Palette Town, a large shopping & entertainment complex consisting of Venus Fort shopping mall, Toyota Mega Web, Zepp Tokyo music venue & Tokyo Leisureland. YUCK YUCK YUCK! Scrap this venue! A waste of our precious time which should have been spent at Ginza instead or a park!

After our complaints, the guide took us to another park as many Sakura enthusiasts in our tour group couldn't get enough of the cherry blossoms. Earlier on, we were at Odaiba Park overlooking the Rainbow bridge, perhaps that 'sparked' the Sakura frenzy, apparently or the fact that some of them came solely to witness the blooms and nothing else! Psst...there were 4 of them die-hard Sakura fans...seriously! Now, how did I know? They told me personally, duh!

At the second park, we sat by the fountain and watched how the Japanese pass their time cycling, idling, playing with their kids or simply just strolling and admiring the Sakura (Japanese for Cherry Blossom). Weather was cooling with nice breeze and oh...the air was truly refreshing and I love the greens, what more...with a water fountain in our background...truly relaxing.

Not the original macha ice cream at the park but similar.

It was here at the entrance of the park we ate our first macha (green tea) ice cream for 350yen (RM11.80 based on 0.0337 exchange rate that I'd gotten 2 days prior to departure) from a van vendor. It was also the very same spot I took pictures with a senior citizen HOG! No silly, not the hog, hog...the Harley Owner's Group..HOG!. His Harley Davidson was a sparkling 'bling bling' that I could easily comb my hair & see my worn out make-up that was not refreshed after the 8 hours haul from Singapore a few hours ago! Unfortunately, that event will only be etched in my memory and no pictures to prove except for my sister in law who helped took the picture and the fact that I 'whatsapp' Rocker57 about it. Ah...memories in the 70% water base thingy is better than any digital or hi-tech thingy. Yuuuup...obviously its the sour puss lamenting & trying to stay as optimistic as possible but somehow you can still taste the sourness, right? hmmm...a bit-bit got-lah! :)

Final stop Ginza - the prestigious & fashionable shopping & dinning hot spot in Tokyo. In the itinerary it indicated shopping at Uniqlo and H&M outlet but it is not to be. We didn't even shopped!!! We stopped for dinner and that was it!!! I couldn't even pop by Burberry which was opposite the restaurant to check out their famed Blue label Burberry!!! *stomp stomp stomp* (internally. Cannot get too annoyed else trip is no longer fun. Ohmmm...ohmmm...meditate to stay calm...ohmmm ohmmm)

BUUUUT!!!! I had my Kobe beef to compensate for the lack of everything else. Waaah, so nice ya, the tour includes Kobe beef....YUP!...F.A.T. chance!!!! We had to fork out 10,000 yen (RM337) for 200gms of it. Sooooo, how was it? 

It was....like how the celebrity in Hollywood would say "beyond words"....The marbleized juicy beef with meat & fat interlacing each other was sweet and oh so tender after a quick BBQ....the meat literally melts in your mouth. Seriously! Karen who isn't a huge fan of beef said she wanted to share the large portion and if she doesn't like it, she will give me her portion. Alas...after the first bite....she was HOOKED, line & sinker! Hence, I only had my fair share but it was SUPERB!!! Strangely, after the specially placed order, the tour guide never offered to ask if we wanted more of it at the other places we visited.....hmmmm....I for one wouldn't mind another go at it...worth every yen!

My kobe beef receipt. Sorry don't know how to rotate the receipt...me..dum-dum!

After dinner, we stopped over at a nearby supermarket. WOWZA, you should have seen the humongous produce they had. The radish is bigger than the size of a man's arm! The leeks were like miniature sugar canes!! Seriously!...Alas, if only I had pictures as proof. But for those who's been to Japan will definitely attest to what I and my tour group had seen. Most of the produce were huge, fresh and so inviting...If I were to put my ears closer...I seriously think I could hear the tomatoes, cabbages, etc saying 'bite me, bite me"...

After the huge produce shockwave wavered down..we headed to our hotel. We stayed at Hilton Hotel :)   Nice! All 25 of us were placed within 21st & 22nd floor.

Overall, I had a weak impression of Tokyo as I did not get to see much nor get to do what I had planned...shop at Burberry for their blue label edition! Aarrrgh!!! Hey, I am not rich but I do like to collect items that are special from each country I'm visiting or have visited i.e if I can afford it. Looks like my pocket is safe this time around.

My take out from my first day in Tokyo:

• Not what I'd expected of Tokyo. Didn't like the architecture or landscape of Tokyo (perhaps due to frequent earthquakes, buildings are meant to last not for show) 
• Our tour guide Ricky tells us more of Singapore where his family is than of Japan. Hey!!!! If I'd wanted to know more of Singapore, I will go to Singapore and not come to Japan to learn of our neighbouring country! Dork!!
• I'd wanted to see how Ginza is during peak hours where thousands of people walk at the pedestrians crossing as often depicted in movies but alas, our driver and guide wanted to avoid the peak hours!!! Arrrggghh....
• Things are expensive due to high living standards but if you look deeper, just like in any other country, you can still afford to live by comfortably. That is, if only you know where to find affordable food & accommodations like how our guide shared with us how he has lived for long durations in Osaka (where he is based).
• Surprisingly, I see a lot of Japanese cycling to work or running errands in a buzzing city like Tokyo! Again, the high living standards could be one of the reasons why, not forgetting that taxis are expensive & so is parking space. Plus, with a nice weather like that, I too wouldn't mind the extra work out. The act of cycling is common in the western countries and China of course. Well, now I know that the Japanese are also in my book of countries where cycling is common :)
• I'm in LOVE with Kobe beef! Like how I fell in love with Wagyu beef burger in Melbourne's Subway Restaurant....ahhh...how easy I fall in love. Just give me good food and I'm smittened!! 

Tell you more about what's in-store the next day. Remember to follow up on my blog ya....until then...

またお会いし

Mata o aishi

"see you again" in Japanese

Kuala Pilah Ride & Tong Hong Restaurant : 10 Mar 2013

Huge delicious pie....the crust is superb!!

For the first time, this ride was organised by us i.e. Rocker 57 and I! The original plan was to eat at Wan Sin ( check out Emperess Lunch at Wan Sin : http://superbiker48.blogspot.com/2012/12/emperess-lunch-at-wan-sin.html ) due to popular demand following my blog about the sumptuous food I had. However, the chef cum owner said they were closed on weekends as they cater for wedding receptions. Sigh....alternative plan was quickly put in place and so...we ended up at Tong Hong in Kuala Pilah(KP). Tong Hong was recommended to me by my good friend Wendy Chai who incidentally was the one who brought me to Wan Sin!

We congregated in Klang Valley at 8am, 6 bikers & 2 pillions. Then, we headed south to have our breakfast in Seremban. Thereafter, we headed to Ulu Bendol waterfalls which is 18kms from KP & about 8km from Seremban. As we were about to leave for KP from Ulu Bendol, we realised that Rocker57's rear tyre had leakage. Thanks to Ryan's help with the Airman tyre inflator, we were able to ride back to Seremban to get the tyre repaired. Cut to the chase...we headed back to KP about an hour later. We were however 45mins late, lucky that I have pre-booked a couple of days earlier...food was waiting to be served..yum yum!

To get to Tong Hong restaurant, once you've reached KP town, you will see an Indian temple on your right. Drive/ride further down, turn left at the traffic light. Take the first left turn and another first left turn....the restaurant is on the right. NOTE : KP township has many one-way street, so drive/ride cautiously.

This is a unique dish...chicken wrapped in fish meat cooked in lemon sweet & sour sauce. The texture of the fish and chicken is succulent & cooked to perfection, very nice. A lot of effort is required to skin the chicken, stuff the fish paste and then reseal the skin & then deep fry the chicken to perfection. Note : 1 day's notice is required.

Before the chicken cum fish dish was the huge Chinese version of Shepherd pie (pix above). The biggest I have seen so far!! Originally served in lamb or pork version (pork ribs, I think) but we requested for it to be changed to chicken instead. The contents were well marinated and bountiful with lots of chunky meat, potatoes, carrots, bombay onions and good gravy. The crunchy crust went well with the gravy. By the time we were done with the pie, you wouldn't know what was originally served because....we left NO CLUES!!! It was squeaky clean except perhaps for some crumbs!!! Heeehee..it was really good or perhaps we were just plain hungry!?!?!?  1 day pre-order is necessary. Do let them know how many persons so that they will make the size enough to fill those hungry mouths.

Crispy fish in spicy Thai sauce....Yummylicious!

This dish makes me weak to the knees! Huge servings of shrimps in delicious sambal belacan & petai. Oh....it was so delectable and tasty that the dish was wiped clean in a jiffy! A MUST order dish if you happen to be there. Trust me, you can't go wrong with this awesome mouth watering dish! But! Be mindful of smelly toilets later on because apparently petai (the green beans you see in the picture) or in botany terms Parkia speciosa has cleansing effect on the kidneys. Hence, it helps in detoxing but it just leaves a pungent smell!!! Ewww....hey...eat first, do the needful and just don't breathe until you are out of the toilet! There! Problem solved!

 

 House Toufu cooked with minced chicken meat with light gravy to complete the dish. Special note : we have requested NO PORK as two of our biker friends are not oink-oink friends :)

The after-math!!! Only 1 spoonful of vegy, 1 tip of chicken wing and fish head left!

There is no signboard fronting the shoplot, so you need to find carefully for the shop. In any case, there are only a few shops per block, it is in the middle of the block.

I was intrigued by the nice paper cheongsams that decorated our wall where we sat. Nice touch to a simple restaurant.
 

(L) :Ravi, Sam, Alex, Shirley, Ryan, Ah Yat & Rocker57

Happy sated folks now ready to pose for me.The servings were huge and plentiful. Seriously, my photos doesn't do justice to the huge servings. FYI, those spoons you saw on every dish is actually ladles! So, go figure! Anyway, we gladly paid RM28 per person inclusive of rice, refillable pots & pots of chinese tea, ice plus 2 big bottles of beers! BLURP!!!

Please call Rabbit (YES!!! Rabbit) at 016-2138060 for reservations. Incidentally, Rabbit is a lady, so be nice, ya!

At the rate I go eating and eating....soon, Rocker57 may have to add a side carriage to his superbike just so he can bring me along!!!! Hahahahaha!!! No worries ya...I live life full but am not stupid! I do work out to keep healthy and I don't eat like this everytime, just occasionally and when the the 'mood to eat' sets in.

Until my next ride or food expedition....stay happy, healthy and wise!

Ride smart. live right!