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[alexin-wonderlust]

Day 2 - Japan Blog - 8 February 2024

Disneyland

I promise this blog wont be as lengthy but I really wanted to share my tips about hot to get in to Japan; today we are off to Disneyland. Let's get it off the bat, first thing, straight to the good stuff. Starting the day with a Squeeze Squeeze (my favourite Orange Juice, it is the most pulpiest juice ever, it's like biting into an orange) we started the commute to Disneyland. 

Now; I wanted to get there early -- I didnt think ropedrop was necessary but apparently it was. I missed out on the Space Mountain priority pass AND the Enchanted Tales with Belle priority pass (the one you have to pay for...) I was actually blown away. The amount of planning I did; and that still wasnt enough to anticipate the crowd that was the day we attended. I managed to sweet talk one of the lovely Cast Members at Space Mountain and she gave me a Switch Rider Pass, arigato -- so I could come back and use that at a later time (just like a fast pass). Ben didnt want one because he isnt a "ride guy". Fair enough, but SPACE MOUNTAIN IS AMAZING -- if you are a ride guy and want to try something awesome, please give it a go. You wont regret. 

After being sad and chucking a tantrum about not being able to go on the ONE RIDE I SO BADLY WANTED TO RIDE... I was satiated with a cute pink Mickey beanie and Ben got the matching glasses (because Valentines Day is next week!!) and then we went on to Toontown to see the bits of the park we missed last time. 

This is my sixth visit to Tokyo Disneyland and while there have been some changes -- It's so nice to see it back to "normal" since COVID. When we visited in November 22, there was so much magic missing and there still is; ahem -- single riders line, paper maps... just to name a few. But there are also some good changes and the merch is back to being fun and cute. I really enjoyed shopping at Disneyland a lot more this time than I did in 2022. 

(Bring back single riders lines and paper maps because I need it!)

Ben got to go on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride which I have been raving about for years (it was closed for refurb last time) and we even got to have a beer before hand -- Since when can you drink beer in Disneyland!? This is new and I like it! Also, seeing snow (albeit dirty piles, I dont care!!) in the park is SO GOOD -- I had fun doing a squish!

For dinner, we settled on the Queen of Hearts Banquet which -- of course, was mediocre at best. But, I mean. Its a counter meal, it is easy, fun and the theming is cute. Although my phone battery was starting to deplete and the charge bank I brought with me turned out to be a pile of trash. 

Here's a TIP! If you are going to be spending the day out and about -- PLEASE CONSIDER BRINGING A FULLY CHARGED BATTERY BANK.

If you cant, there are some options; but Disneyland struggled to meet our needs and here's why.

-The charge spots are in Japanese. No issue, except I need my phone to translate and that drains battery.

-You need an APP to hire a battery bank. This is also in japanese and you cant translate it.

-You have to scan the QR code 3 or 4 times which means people are hanging around in the area, which is ANNOYING because therye in the way and you're stressing out because of the next point...

-It doesnt accept any other payment method except CREDIT CARD. Not debit card, not paypal linked to a credit card, not apple pay. It has to be "enter your CREDIT card details" to make a payment.

This was very frustrating because by the time I had located the charge spot; tried about 3 times; downloaded the app, created an account, tried to link my debit card, paypal, etc... my battery is now on 2%. EEP! 

HOW TO FIX; I went to the HOME STORE next to the American Waffle Co near the Main Street and they sell battery packs for approximately 2900YEN. Which was about $30AUD. This thing was amazing. It had enough charge to fill both ben and my phone to at least 60% and get us through until back to the hotel. Thank you Disney! :)

I wanted to keep this short so I will just say the next things in dot point form:

-Minnies Funderland promo is super cute but the girls hogged the picture spots and there were massive line ups for the special foods all day.

-Got some super cute pictures at Golden Hour at the castle. 

-Ben got his sherrif pin for winning the Shooting Gallery and getting 10 shots in a row!

-Rides we went on were Space Mountain, Star Tours, Pirates of the Caribbean

-The electrical parade is amazing but its TOO COLD -- the fireworks were bloody pitiful. Sorry, but they suck.

Then we start the long trek through the crowd back to the hotel (this is why I prefer to stay onsite when I go to Disneyland... its just easier for a hotel thats not much more expensive...!)

On the way back we found a supermarket and I stocked up on some "healthier" options; like a banana and I organised myself a bath and a face mask for my first relaxation, pamper session. One of my favourite things to do in Japan. While I was in the bath; Ben went to the 7/11 and they had an onigiri which has now plagued my brain -- pork and wasabi. I need more and I need them all.

#japan #japan travel #alexinwonderlust #travel #travel blog #bennyandthelex #disneyland #tokyo disneyland #japan february 2024

[alexin-wonderlust]

Day 1 - Japan Blog - 7 February 2024

Day One: Adelaide to Tokyo Virgin Airlines via Melbourne and Cairns

Let's begin our departure to Japan. My sixth time visiting Nippon, and this time I hope to see and experience new things I havent been able to before.

My previous trips have been more to the cities to shop and to Disneyland but as I become more infatuated with this country, I am drawn to more meaningful experiences. It used to be about the video games, the collectables, the cute accessories and conveniences I couldnt get at home -- but now I am intrigued with the history, culture and nature of Japan. Hopefully I can manage to do everything I want to do and all the things, I wasnt expecting. (Because, theyre always the best!)

Leaving our house at 4am this morning was always a challenge; especially when I finished packing at 2am. So, we jumped in the uber which was driven by a super eccentric female driver who made me want to drop everying and start uber driving -- how is this even a thing I would want to do? She was so funny and chirpy and smart. It made the ride memorable and we made it to the airport with the rest of our holiday to look forward to.

Second up, checking in at Virgin Airlines in Adelaide Airport was also a huge highlight. The person helped us with our check in -- not that we needed it, but she upgraded our domestic flights to extra legroom which made my travel partner very happy.

I'm travelling with my partner of 4 years; Ben. He is 6"3 and loves an extra legroom seat! You'll probably learn a lot about him through my posts. He likes good food and music!

Well, after discovering that our VA fare is NOT a full service fare (I am NOT happy about this, shook, stricken, SLANDER!) as I would NEVER... but apparently; flying trans-tasman with VA doesn't mean you get a meal or a blanket or a pillow or a nice piece of metal. We are on a Boeing 737-800 Max for 9 hours with NO SNACKS. I think, because I booked this hastily, on their website (opposed to through a GDS with the option to see ancillaries) without the complete details -- I assumed it was a short haul international flight, and compared it with Qantas' service. I was wrong. The inflight entertainment is BYO device (which I didnt...) and the 737800 isnt fitted with Wifi onboard so I couldnt even download anything to watch. Their WiFi was working, so you could use their Free Entertainment, however I found it lagged and I couldn't even watch it through the buffering. So I just stuck to my knitting -- without music though because my Spotify decided I didnt need my downloaded music either.

It was a very long and semi-uncomfortable flight.

After the gruelling hours of trying to sleep, trying to finish my knitting and also doing some work... we landed in Haneda! HOORAY! Now time to do customs, and head to our hotel. Almost there.

For those playing at home; here is a quick breakdown of how to enter Japan.

-Grab an entry card and declaration card from your air host/ess. They will provide the physical card for you to fill in to give when you go through customs.

  or

-Alternatively; visit Japanweb.gov.jp (I dont have a photo of it, because you cant use cameras in customs, and I used the physical card option -- I love filling out these things!!) and you can do it all online and scan your QR at the gate.

The entry card tells the Japanese Government what your intentions on visiting Japan. IE: Tourism, visiting a relative, Business, etc -- and how long you intend to stay, where you're going to be staying -- all that jazz.

The declarations card is about what you are BRINGING in to JAPAN. So please dont bring things like fruit, meat, dangerous goods, illegal substances (this can be some medications like Codeine and Pseudoephedrine so please check with your doctor -- and get a note if you take medication regularly that might not be "legal" in Japan). If you dont bring any of this with you; you dont need to declare anything and you can walk straight through once you've shown your passport.

-Line up and have your passport at the ready. Keep your entry cards with your passport.

-They will scan your finger prints and take your photo first. (We had to do this twice...)

-Line up again to go through the gates.

-This is where they will stamp your passport and grant your access.

Once youve gone through this part; you're almost there!!

-Pick up your bags.

-Find the carosel with the flight you just arrived on. (IE: VA77 is on carosel 6) Your bags will come out here.

-Collect your bags and take them to the gates on the other side.

-Show your passport and declaration card and you *should* be good to enter.

Here we go! We are in JAPAN -- the first port of call is to get our mascot for the trip. This is something Ive done since my 2018 trip and it's fun and cute and it makes me happy to share my experience through a silly icon's eyes. Walk towards the "Keihan" Train Line which will get you to Tokyo. This is a trainline that goes direct from Haneda airport to Tokyo and connects to any of the main train networks in Tokyo. It really doesn't matter what neighbourhood you are staying in; 90% of the time this will be the train you need to get you to where you want to go. On the LEFT there is a 7/11 (get money from the ATM in the left corner, and then grab some snacks and a drink so you've got some coins..) because on the RIGHT there are a bunch of Gacha Machines where I like to find my mascot.

This time; NOTHING. No lil dudes. So, we will keep looking. 

Take the Escalators down to the train platform and board the train to TOKYO/SHINAGAWA and you're on your way.

Back to my blog; Ben and I had our heart set on this ramen place we found by accident last time we were in Akihabara. We call it "Midnight Ramen" because he wanted ramen at midnight and it came through with the GOODS... alas. We dropped our bags at our hotel in Shinagawa and did a quick change into something warm. (It was 36degrees when we left Adelaide and now we are facing 2degrees and SNOW!) Slammed on a beanie and caught the Yamanote to Akiba; to find that our ramen place was closed for renovations. The SADDEST TIME! Akiba isn't known for its ramen so we had to find something else... how devastating.

We found a Hakata style ramen place. It was a 6/10. It got a point for being open. Also, it was okay. The Nori (seaweed) had cute printed sayings on it which I thought was cute (gross, but cute). Then I found out that another branch of the other ramen place was open in Shinagawa, only a 6 minute walk from our hotel. Let's pretend like that didnt happen.

After we ate, we became acquainted with our new local Kombini (7/11, convenience store) attached to our hotel, and purchased some necessities.

#japan travel #travel #alexinwonderlust #bennyandthelex #japan february 2024 #travel blog #japan #tokyo

[alexin-wonderlust]

Day 13 - Japan Blog - 19 February 2024 Last day in Japan *sad face* We still have a few hours in Kyoto before we start the trek of 2 trains and 3 planes home. SO -- Im going to Kiddyland!! Although, I wasnt really happy with the one in Kyoto. The best Kiddylands are definitely Osaka/Umeda and the original one in Harajuku (I dont know if that is the original? Is it? I dunno! Its my original one haha!) We caught a taxi to the trainstation again because I couldnt be bothered walking and taking an extra train -- but this time we had some more time.... and I had a goal to get an EkiBen today and I succeeeeeded! Ben had a Korean Beef one and I had Tonkastu Pork — they were hell goooood! I was craving lollies so I even had one of the Nerunerunerune… or DIY candy kits (but this one is directed at Adults, yep yep!!)

So, here we go, our 30 hour trek home. (I’m not home yet and I’m exhausted and sore and I would kill for a shower and a soda water)

When we got to Haneda (Tokyo Airport) we were super early so we had lots of time. We were actually too early and had to take our bags shopping with us!! There was another Hakuhinkan Toy Store inside the terminal. Which was actually amazing! They had a whole section on aviation toys with models and keyrings and all sorts of nerdy stuff. Ben found a Godzilla for $17AUD and I bought a Licca-Chan doll. We had heaps of time to decide what to eat — we settled with ramen and gyoza. Ben got two lots of gyoza because they were pretty satisfying. The airport was much better this time around -- last time nothing was open and we couldnt eat or get last minute souvenirs. As we were boarding -- the ANA Pikachu jet was next to us!!

The flight home was easy because it was a night flight -- I could just knock myself out and sleep. However there were so many people coughing, it was gross!!

When we landed in Cairns I wanted to go to the Esplanade but apparently it costs $30 one way to drive for 6 minutes (stupid!!) so we just ate the junk at the airport again. I had an Aussie Whopper to “celebrate” being home.🍔 (a whopper with egg, bacon and beetroot) But there we go! I got to see snow, and snow monkeys and eat at a conveyor belt sushi train and go to Legoland!

#japan #japan travel #alexinwonderlust #travel #bennyandthelex #japan february 2024 #travel blog #kyoto #traveling #haneda airport #tokyo #shinkansen #ekiben

[alexin-wonderlust]

Day 7 - Japan Blog - 13 February 2024 DisneySea

Today, my partner and I, Ben are going separate ways.

He wants to go and find music stuffs; so I found him a whole street where they have guitars, bass, ukulele, record stores... its literally called "Guitar Street" or Ochanomizu and its near Ueno (sort of). I, on the otherhand... will never be satiated with Disney. So Im doing another day at Disney but Im going to DisneySea. The second day at Disney is always more organised and streamlined -- I didnt really eat much but I did make sure to do the things I wanted to do.

We started the day at Tokyo Station and I found the Kirby Sweets Cafe (to make up for the fact I missed out on making a booking for the Kirby Cafe when the bookings sold out in less than a DAYYYY!) I had a banana and caramel pie with bubblegum flavoured cream. It was intense, and... while it was nice and decadent. I dont think it was amazing. But CUTE though? When we split ways, I went to Disney and the first person I ran into was GOOFY! There were lots of character greets happening as I arrived so I managed to snag a picture with Goofy and Daisy. I wanted to buy the black ears that I have had my eye on for YEARS -- the girl who served me was lovely and wrote me a cute sticker!! I had some food from the italian place in the main area, which was pretty bloody good to be honest. I had a lambrusco and a beer from a craft brewery called Harvest Moon -- but it, wasnt good at all. Then I spent the rest of the day going around, taking photos. I did purchase a ticket to ride Journey to the Centre of the Earth and it is still an absolute highlight of my day. Love that ride so much! When it got dark, I managed to find myself a spot to watch the night time show and it was epic. Of course. Then I got a Stella Lou bunny for my niece to take home. :) Ben met me at Shinagawa Station so we could find ramen, but ended up in a HUB pub and had pizza and beer for dinner.

#japan #japan travel #alexinwonderlust #travel #bennyandthelex #japan february 2024 #disneyland #tokyo disneyland #tokyo #travel blog #tokyo disneysea #disneysea #tdlr

[alexin-wonderlust]

Day Fourteen - To Disney

20th November 2022

Onwards to Disneyland!! This morning I had cake for breakfast (of course!) and then we packed our bags because we are staying at the Hotel Okura at the Disney Resort in Chiba.

Unfortunately, the weather is quite gloomy. Raining and cold — but that doesn’t stop me!!

All the Christmas decorations were up in the parks and it looked so pretty. However; I felt like it was very underwhelming compared to previous visits. Possibly due to covid limitations? I dunno.

We started with some more cakes and a coffee from Sweetheart Treats but Mikes Melon Pan doesn’t cut it after the one we had at Mt Fuji haha!

Because Ben has never been to Disneyland before, I had to show him the ropes. First things first -- Star Tours. Then to the Baymax Vending Machines. We saw the new Beauty and the Beast area but it was raining, and the queue was 120minutes long for the ride (with no more purchasable fast passes left for the day... I think I know what Im going to do differently next time...)

OH AND ALSO; there are no paper maps anymore and the wifi is terrible. Everyone is on the app at the same time, so it lags and you cant see ride que times, or restaurant opening times and its just horrible. I hope they sort this out soon because it wasnt good.

We ate at the Beauty and the Beast eatery -- La Taverne De Gaston. It was a bit of a line up and the food was average at best. Disneyland, you're not my favourite today. I took Ben into FantasyLand to see Philharmagic as it was starting to rain, the weather wasnt ideal and my feet were soaked (second time on this trip... you would think I would learn LOL) AGAIN! Lucky we are staying in the Disney Resort so we could go back to the hotel to finish checking in (which took ages by the way... not our day today...) and getting changed.

Then we went BACK to Disney! Now all rugged up and with ponchos; I even managed to get Ben on a ROLLERCOASTER! We went on Big Thunder Mountain and he didn't hate it. Hehe, and then afterwards he played the shooting gallery and tried to get a perfect score. We had a turkey leg and decided to get Plasma Ray's Diner for dinner -- just as the fireworks were trying to happen. I wasnt happy that the day was over, so I walked to Ikspiari and settled on TGI Fridays where Ben inhaled 2 fishbowl cocktails, and another normal cocktail. They were only $12 though. No complaints!

#japan travel #food photography #travel #japan #disneyland #tokyo disneyland #tokyo disneyland resort #tgi fridays japan #japan rainy day #benny and the lex 2022 #bennyandthelex #alexinwonderlust #travelblog #traveladdict #travelphotos #adventure #explore #escape #seetheworld #holiday #igtravel #instapassport #ig_travel #traveller #travelgram #travelbug #travelpics #instatravel #travelgoals #tokyo

[alexin-wonderlust]

Day 12 - Japan Blog - 18 February 2024

Because we had to miss Hiroshima due to my terrible impulse spending … we took a train to Nara. Last time we visited Nara it was cold and rainy — today was lovely. 🥰 AND WE GOT TO SEE PLUM AND CHERRY BLOSSOMS! 🌸🦌✨ Covered a lot of ground — and also food wise today!

Started the day with eggs … in the form of ramen. Ippudo ramen but it was missing something… still good but I just wanted some shichimi or some spice 😭🌶️ Also, I ordered a "bottle" of asahi and it was HUGE!! Before we left, I came across a Tokyu Hands store and I havent been in one of these since they rebranded to just "hands". So, of course I had to go and suss their stationery and kitchen sections. (The best!!) I came out with about $50 of stuff from a soy sauce dispenser, a coffee spoon and about 8 packs of stickers. :) When we got to the station, we bought some Lindt Chocolate in some interesting flavours like Macha, Popcorn, Cheesecake and Sakura. Of course, to eat on the train.

When we arrived in Nara, I remembered why I said I wanted to come back. Its so serene and peaceful and just one of my favourite places. We walked up the street towards the park to see the deer and found a capsule/game arcade which we took a pokemon purikura and Ben hated it! Then he found a great Panini place and outside there were so many puppies, including one in a handbag. I die!! The panini was heaps good too!!

When we were in Nara Park with the deer, there were some early blossoms on the trees. They were super pink and so cute! It was a nice surprise considering the Cherry Blossoms dont usually come out until late March/April. So these were most likely plum blossoms.

Then we hoofed (Deer pun) to Osaka and straight to Dotonbori where I wanted to eat a little bit of everything. Starting with some Kushikatsu and some Japanese Omelette called Tonpei which I was scared for but was actually really good!!

We walked through the shrine in Dotonbori (which I have just googled and its called Hozenji if you wanna go check that area out, its cute!!) and there were cats running around, stealing the show.

After that, Ben wanted MEAT so we went to find a BBQ on the river but it was busy so they took us to their other restaurant and we had Kobe Beef and vegetables on the grill. It was good food, and so reasonably priced. 🔥🥩

The train we caught back to Kyoto was so pretty. It was all wooden and dark maroon. So classy!

When we got back to the hotel, it was time to pack so we finished all the beer and stuff we had in the fridge (which was mainly cheese!!) the cheese selections over here are the best 🤣 But I wasnt ready yet -- I went out to go and find another Pork/Soy/Wasabi Onigiri because that was one of the best things I ate this time!!

Tomorrow is our last day!! 😭

#japan #japan travel #alexinwonderlust #travel #bennyandthelex #japan february 2024 #travel blog #kyoto #nara #osaka #nara park #nara deer #japanese deer #deer #osaka travel #dotonbori #japan food travel #food travel #foodies

[alexin-wonderlust]

Day 11 - Japan Blog - 17 February 2024

Today was the DAY! We got seats for lunch at Kichi-Kichi Omurice (which we tried to get last year but they had a different reservation system which booked out months in advance in less than an hour…!) now you have to be at the restaurant at 8am for the password and at 9am the website opens up for the 10 seats inside the restaurant.

We had a bit of time before lunch so we went to the Nintendo Store and had a nice walk around before it was time for our reservation. We shared a table with a bunch of American dudes from NYC (and surrounds); some of them had no idea what they were in for and one guy was filming with three cameras HAHA! Kichi Kichi is CRAZY! He is crazy in the most normal way. The food is yummy and the show is awesome! He even helped show me how to cook the Omurice properly. Arigato master! After lunch we used our Hop on Hop off ticket to get around Kyoto (it's actually a great way to do it, considering there aren't any trains in Gion area...!) and we went to the Golden Pavillion called Kinkaku-Ji. It was so pretty with the reflection in the water. Then we got back on the bus to go to the Gion district. I wanted to take Ben to the starbucks along the Sannenzaka path.

The sun was going down and it started to get cold... a lot of the shops were closed so we had to walk back to the hotel. We got a bit lost and walked the wrong way -- but when we got back to the hotel I decided to drink all the booze we had accumulated over the trip. But of course, dinner. Ben wanted the yakatori place thats next to our hotel but we have never been past and had an opportunity to go in -- or theyve been busy or closed. After waiting there for 25 mins and being told they werent serving any more people -- I settled on sushi. (Keeping in mind, neither of us usually eat fish— all this was only $36 including drinks and dessert) it was so fresh and amazing — I NEED MORE! (Ben hated it!)

This is one of the Evangelion Craft Beers I found...! This one is an Orange IPA. 🍊🍺

#japan #japan travel #alexinwonderlust #travel #bennyandthelex #japan february 2024 #travel blog #kyoto #kichi kichi #kichi kichi omurice #kinkaku-ji #gion #japan snacks #food travel

[alexin-wonderlust]

Day 10 - Japan Blog - 16 February 2024

We woke up super early to get reservations at a super popular restaurant (more on that tomorrow!!) but missed out… so we decided to eat our way through Kyoto, starting at Nishiki Market.

Ben doesn’t eat anything from the ocean and I am new to eating fish — I don’t enjoy the “fishy” taste, but I don’t mind salty and trying new things. I don’t like seaweed, and I don’t like big portions so Japan is a good place to try a lot of things!!

The Nishiki Market is so amazing. Its like a smorgasbord of everything to tempt the tastebuds I had two giant prawns, grilled on a hotplate and it was like $5. There was a sake shop selling 100Y sake, but it seemed a bit gimmicky -- we had some chicken and gyoza but nothing too exciting. We found a chilli shop with a cute lady working there -- she showed us this "numbing" spice, so of course Ben had to buy it :P We wanted to go and see the Nijo Castle, but missed out because even though they "close" at 4... they stop letting people in at 3 and we got there just after. So we found a supermarket and went a bit boonta in there.

The supermarkets in Japan are amazing. A whole section for sushi, and the most decadent, colourful, fresh sushi plate for only 690Y. Amazing! Then there's the cheeses, sweets, snacks, fresh fruit is super expensive but amazingly polished. We bought about $25 worth but came back with some good wasabi stuff, and a tube of "melon pan" spread. Amazing! I wanted to take Ben to where they brew the green Macha IPA beer -- so we got on a train to the other side of Fushimi Inari where there are a bunch of sake breweries/distilleries? Whatever they are. At the Kizakura Country Brewery we had a tasting paddle where the beer brewed with Sake Yeast (?) was the best. We had some snacks and then headed back to Osaka for our highly anticipated dinner at Salvatore’s...

Now, I’m not sure if I want to post about how poor the food was here. Our expectations were high because the last time we visited — it was exceptional. Like, think of the best Neapolitan Pizza you’ve had — that… was not the case this time. Then we got the bill and it was over $100AUD. Actually unhappy with all of it. Last time it was SO GOOD WE WENT BACK TWICE?! How could it get so bad 😭😭😭

Back to the hotel to drown my sorrows with an ice cream in the bath. 🧊

#japan #japan travel #alexinwonderlust #bennyandthelex #japan february 2024 #travel #travel blog #kyoto #nishiki market #kawaramachi #macha beer #market food #food blog #food travel

[alexin-wonderlust]

Day 9 - Japan Blog - 15 February 2024 Legoland and Shinkansen to Kyoto Today is theme park day!! It was going to be Legoland and Shinkansen Museum but we decided to just do Legoland annnndddd it was a super let down. I wouldn’t go there again, or recommend it to anyone … I’ve been to the one Legoland in San Diego and I thought that one was “meh” but this was really bad. The mini land/world (I can’t remember what it was called) was cool… and the Lego City was good and the service was amazing. But yeah, big meh. The food at Legoland sucked brick. Like … actual. I was dying to try the Lego Chips because, well LOOK AT THEM! SO CUTE! But -- Not only did it taste like cardboard, but it also made me sick. So, yeah. That takes me Legoland rating to a 2/10. 😔

We had to catch the train to Kyoto and it was raining so we thought to get a taxi instead of rushing … then the taxi was SO SLOW (we could have walked…) which stressed me out, overwhelmed me, and I ended up having a vulnerable moment on the train which ended up with me having a chronic illness flare and I had to nap and take it easy for the afternoon and evening.

However, I decided that it was going to be easy street tonight -- we went to Ichiran for dinner and that makes me happy. I love our hotel. I usually stay at the Hotel Gracery Kyoto Sanjo. Its close enough to Gion that you only need to catch one train... and its right in the middle of Kawaramachi Street. The room has a SHOWER ROOM which is the main reason I wanted to stay in this hotel again and I found out there is a "lounge" on the 6th floor with free soft drink!! Amazing.

#japan #japan travel #alexinwonderlust #travel #bennyandthelex #japan february 2024 #lego land #legoland japan #legoland #lego land nagoya #nagoya #kyoto #ichiran #ichiran ramen #ramen #japan ramen #lego

[alexin-wonderlust]

Day 6 - Japan Blog - 12 February 2024 Snow Monkeys and Karaoke

We had to be up super early today because we are going on a tour to see SNOW!! This desert babe has never seen snow (in its pure form, only from a snow machine... and thats NOT FAIR!!) so Im going to find some today. Still feeling sick as a dog, but I loaded up on the warm lemon/honey beverages. Theyre SO GOOD! My throat is happy. The bus tour takes us to Nagano. First we stopped at a restaurant for our "Beef Sukiyaki" meal. It was very -- push you here, take you there. Kind of tour. It wasnt very friendly or fun. It was just business... Sigh. Beer Sukiyaki was yum! We bought some regional snacks to enhoy while we are on the bus -- because Ive done these things before and being without snacks is the WORST! The guy behind us passed out because it was super hot on the bus and no fresh air. Oops! When we got to the Snow Monkey Park (Jidokundani Yaen Koen) there was a trek to be done -- and yes! SNOW!! I was actually quite scared I wouldnt be able to do the hike because Im so shit at hiking. Ben wore his new boots which caused him issues, and I feel on my butt at the end -- but it was doable. About 45 mins to the top and then another 10/15 mins to get to the onsen. I accidentally saw a Japanese dudes penis, because he was in the hotel onsen on site and he was just WALKING AROUND NAKED. You know, normal things at a tourist sight. I made a joke about this to the lady when she said there were men bathing "I thought we werent allowed to bring food -- this guy here with his MEAT hanging out" she giggled because Im an idiot. The monkeys are hilarious and cute and weird. There is a lot of drama going on with them, and screaming and chasing around the snow. But they literally just hang out in the natural hot springs and dont really care about the 100 people taking their photos. They also have a live stream too! https://www.jigokudani-yaenkoen.co.jp/livecam2/video_en.php After only being with the monkeys for about 20 mins, we were bussed to another "tourist trap" location with no food, but instead "snow igloos" where we got a beer and walked across the road instead to play in the fluffy snow. There was one stop on the way back to a roadhouse type place which had food, souveniers, a convenience store, local produce and dagashi to take home as gifts. We got burgers and other snacks to keep us going back to shinjuku.

And since we are already here; Shinjuku again. I needed something for my tattoo, so we went to Donki for a shop, and then found a karaoke place with food and drinks. (Instead of going to a bar...!) The food was dismal and the karaoke was terrible but it made for a fun experience. If you were there with a group of people, it would be awesome.

#japan #japan travel #alexinwonderlust #travel #japan february 2024 #snow monkeys #nagano #shinjuku #bennyandthelex #travel blog #snow monkey #japanese snow monkey #snow monkey japan #snow monkey onsen #jidokudani #shibuya #tokyo #karaoke #jidokudani yaen koen

[alexin-wonderlust]

Day 5 - Japan Blog - 11 February 2024 Ginza and Tokyo Station Area

I’ve never actually been to Ginza or Tokyo (properly) before so I thought today was the day to go and explore. My partner wanted to visit a Beer Place he found that was just east of Ginza in Monnaka so we planned our day around that.

I got to shop at Itoya, the biggest stationery shop and then we went to Hakuhinkan Toy Park so I could see the Licca-Chan basement floor. I ended up getting a fridge for my barbie collection!! 🤭🤭

At the Perfect Beer Cafe, we had snacks and about 5 beers. They were all so yum! The theming was amazing. I loved that the bathroom “tap” was an actual beer pouring tap. Cracked me up! (I worked in a brewery last year for about 6 months so I love it!!)

After leaving the Beer Kitchen, we wanted to head to Tokyo Character Street but because it was a national public holiday we think the shops closed earlier.

We decided to get back to the hotel and hit the hay for our early start tomorrow. I’ve been trying to eat more vegetables but I’m struggling with all the delicious deep fried goodness that Japan has to offer… today we had CoffeKan in Ginza to refuel while shopping. Then off to the @perfect_beer_kitchen_tokyo where we tried a lot of everything. The curry was delicious!! I ate all the edamame 🤣

#japan #japan travel #alexinwonderlust #travel #travel blog #bennyandthelex #japan february 2024 #ginza #tokyo

[alexin-wonderlust]

Day 4 - Japan Blog - 10 February 2024 Tattoo and Shibuya Today I am getting a Godzilla tattoo from an artist in Nakano, Tokyo at a studio called Artemis Tattoo. I am feeling WRECKED from being sick -- I was scared it might be COVID because I have a gnarly sore throat... What a good time to relax? Getting stabbed!? Haha! We caught the train out there which was only like, 20 mins? Ben just walked around and explored while I got my tattoo. My artist's name is Mangesh and he was from India and has a Japanese wife and child here. It was nice to talk to someone in Japan who is from a different culture again. Fun times!

After my tattoo, Ben took me to all the places he had found on his adventure. We got Mexican for lunch at a place called XX where the owner lived in the US for a while. He was chatty and lovely, the food was pretty good. Then we went to a cute "french" styled bakery which was ... SO CUTE... and we got some treats for tonight. We caught the train back to Toyko, main area and it was time to explore Shibuya. I wanted to check out the new Shibuya Sky Building but that was booked out for an event. We managed to find a place to watch the crossing without having to pay (or book) but they werent happy about it haha! OOOPS! Now, its time to get some food. Taylor Swift was touring this week so it was Swifty crazy. Every shop was playing TS and it was fucking annoying. You cant avoid it!! We wandered upon a Yakitori Grill Restaurant which let us upstairs (in the smoking area, which didnt bother me, but it did bother some other aussies... pussies) and we had some pretty good value food. Better than the previous night for SURE! Ben is currently obsessed with Japanese Potato Salad. We are heading towards the Nintendo Store and Pokemon Centre at the PARCO shopping mall. Which is an amazing place to be honest -- we got there a bit late so we had to rush. But I managed to grab some cute shit from both stores before we had to leave... I could have been in there for another hour or so at least. HEHE! Im still feeling pretty trash, so back to the hotel for a bath and an early night.

#japan #japan travel #alexinwonderlust #travel #travel blog #bennyandthelex #japan february 2024 #shibuya #nintendo store japan #shibuya parco #shibuya crossing #shibuya scramble #tokyo shibuya #tokyo #scramble crossing

[alexin-wonderlust]

Day 3 - Japan Blog - 9 February 2024 Asakusa and Shinjuku at Night

Its day 3 already and we still havent found ourself a mascot. This is uncalled for. First point of call is to find our lil guy; we have chosen; it has BEEN chosen. Racaccoonie. A cute little thankful Racoon. He's coming with us for the rest of our adventures.

Today is shrine and tradition day -- or something like that. I have stayed in Asakusa but never been to Senso-ji temple or the Markets. I thought that would be a cool place to take Ben and do some exploring. Senso-ji is a buddist temple, not a shinto shrine like what most people think of when a Japanese temple comes to mind. 

I am starting to feel very sick, super under the weather so I am on the cold and flu medication (not Codral, because thats a no-no here!!) and we must "soldier on". It was ramen time. Time to get spicy and blow this sickness out of my head -- we stumped across this chinese style noodles place and seriously, it was the BEST ramen we had on the trip. It was so different and tasty and really good. Every component was perfect and we both enjoyed it. Adding it to my "list of food places" straight away.

After walking around the shrine and the markets that lead there, I wanted to find the "photo spot" which was in the information centre. We found a spicy chicken fillet place, which was incredible -- despite my sore throat hating the spice... then we had warm strawberry "sake". We found ourself on Orange Street which had some really cool and funky shops including one with lots of video game collectables -- and the Sanrio Store. At the information centre, you can go to the top floor and get an amazing view of the shopping street, Nakamise-Dori which leads up to the temple.

After relaxing here and soaking up the view; we decided to head to our next destination. Shinjuku.

I wanted to check out the Kabukicho Tower which was recently opened in 2023.

It was appalling. I would never say this about anything in Japan but uou can almost tell its a failing system from the start. The food places are confusing, I didnt know where one started and the other ended. The staff were not helpful and I felt very "judged" being here; despite it being a very "touristy" venue. There was a DJ and "vibes" were "popping". But, prices were exuberant and food was basic.

We decided to go upstairs and see the arcade which the tower showcases. Prices, again, super high for an arcade centre. However, there was a good selection of Gacha (no Godzilla!!) so we spent a bit of time here. The games seemed "rigged" as it was harder to win prizes, and the video games only gave us one attempt; where as other venues have had 2 or 3 games per "session".

I quickly realised that this isnt the place to be, so we made our way back to the hotel so I could rest.

(NOTE: Don't leave it past midnight to catch the trains back to your hotel, as the last train from Shinjuku doesn't go to Shinagawa and you will have to get off and walk the rest of the way. Not ideal in the cold, wet, and while sick!!) ...

#japan #japan travel #alexinwonderlust #travel #japan february 2024 #bennyandthelex #asakusa

[alexin-wonderlust]

Day Sixteen - Last Day in Tokyo and Home

22nd November 2022

Tokyo and Home

Our last day in Japan and we still have so much to do. We checked out of our accommodation and went straight for Akihabara and Tokyo Skytree.

Super Potato has all the best, nostalgic video games and memorabilia. It’s almost a museum at the same time it’s a shop, and on the top floor — a retro arcade with a snack shop. I could spend HOURS in there looking at all the second hand games for every console. I bought some Kirby stuff and candy. Then we made our way to the Skytree.

I managed to find another tomato ramen place but it wasn’t exactly the same - which makes me think it’s a franchise and they could all be different. Maybe we got lucky! It was still great though.

At sky tree we went up to the top to see all of Tokyo. Not only do they have another Pokémon centre there but also a Kirby cafe. I really wanted to go but they were booked out.

We had to bust it back to the airport for our flight and this is the worst part.

The airport closed all their shops and restaurants at 5pm and there was one open, but the line was too long for it to even be worthy. I wanted for 45 mins and got to the front to be told they were closing and my food will still be 30 mins and we might not make our flight… so I had to wait and have food from the plane. Horrible. Seriously. I hope they sorted that out now!!

Aside from some small things, which I’m sure they can fix soon.

TRAVEL IS BACK BABY IG post: "Last Day in Tokyo 😭🍜

Maybe I should just post all the food that I wanted to eat today because it turned out that we missed dinner because the airport closed all its restaurants before we got there. We lined up for the only place for almost half an hour and we’re told that most of the food was sold out, last order was in 4 minutes and it could take more than 30mins to make a hot dog.

I dunno man.

Anyway. Starbucks for breakfast. Then we found another Tomato Ramen (so gooood! I’m going to try and recreate it next week!) and had the cheesy dumplings again too. Ben had Orange Chicken so he was happy.

Then it was just plane food 🙃🙃

Until next time Japan. ✌️" "

After (more than) two weeks (not including travel days) abroad, today we make our way home. But first — back to Tokyo to do some things we didn’t get a chance to.

First up, Akihabara to go to Super Potato. A retro game store. 4 floors of nostalgia and video games. It’s so much fun to see!

Then we headed to Tokyo Skytree. The “second tallest building in the world”. Apparently. It’s pretty bloody tall, I’ll give them that! We had issues with the airport transfer… even though it said to buy tickets on the bus… we apparently needed to make a reservation more than a day in advance. So, we ended up having to catch a taxi to the airport … then when we got to Haneda airport. Nothing was open. No restaurants or shops. It was only 7pm. I was so confused and hungry.

I guess travel isn’t back to what it used to be, but it was still so good to be able to have an adventure again. ✈️"

#japan #japan travel #travel #alexinwonderlust #Tokyo #tokyo street food #tokyo trip #benny and the lex 2022 #November 22 #bennyandthelex #travelblog #traveladdict #travelphotos #adventure #explore #escape #seetheworld #holiday #igtravel #instapassport #ig_travel #traveller #travelgram #travelbug #travelpics #instatravel #travelgoals #tokyo #bennyandthelexadventures #foodadventures

[alexin-wonderlust]

Day Fifteen - Disneysea

21 November 2022

Tokyo DisneySea

We woke up this morning and the weather had cleared and while it was still a bit chilly — no rain!!

Today we are Disneybounding as Ariel and Eric from the scene where she goes into the town/kiss the girl. Ben looked so good with his hair down so I took the opportunity of taking some romance novel-esque photos of him on the ship.

I have never seen this park so busy. My assumption is that it’s because of the new Night time show. There were even lines for POPCORN (that never happens!!) and everything was busy. All the fast passes sold out so quick — we got one for ToyStory Mania!! But, wow. It was insane. Considering all the covid changes… people are still flocking to be here.

We did the usual; walk around. Eat things. Take photos. We had New York Deli reubens first with a minty shake. One of the Christmas specials. Then tried to have cocktails on the ship but they weren’t open yet. Ah well.

We walked around to Agrabah and had more snacks. Did the Sinbad and Chengu ride (which I’ve never done, mainly because it’s in Japanese but cuuute!!) and then to mermaid and steampunk, Jules Verne area. The Journey ride was closed, much to my disgust. I was so sad because this is my favourite ride. Disney was full of disappointments this time — I was getting used to it.

We walked past the new area with Soarin’ but there was a 2 hour wait and realised… people were already sitting down for the night show and it was only 4pm. 😶😶😶

After our dinner at the buffet, we tried to get back to the ToyStory area but it was blocked off due to the show. We had to walk around for ages but we did our ride and then had to find somewhere to watch the Night Show. Every part of the ground was taken and nowhere for standing so we had to walk around — it was crazy. Eventually we found somewhere we could stand without getting told off and it was actually super magical. Of course I cried. I had a big cry and turns out Disney has a way of doing that and it’s healing.

#japan #japan travel #travel #alexinwonderlust #tokyo disneyland #disney #tokyo disneyland resort #tokyo disneysea #Disneysea #benny and the lex 2022 #bennyandthelex #travelblog #traveladdict #travelphotos #adventure #explore #escape #seetheworld #holiday #igtravel #instapassport #ig_travel #traveller #travelgram #travelbug #travelpics #instatravel #travelgoals #tokyo #bennyandthelexadventures

[alexin-wonderlust]

Day Thirteen - Tokyo (oops)

19th November 2022

Well, someone drank too much last night. (it was me)

So instead of doing things I had planned… I had to stay in bed all day and nurse a stupid hangover.

Ben wanted McDonalds so I sent him on a solo adventure to go and get it. He really just wanted the McGriddle but they didn’t even have it — poor monkey.

Anyway; I did manage to drag myself out of bed at around 4pm and the mission was to get the Italian ramen hybrid that I’ve been wanting for 4 years.

We went to Shinjuku to find Taiyou No Tomato-Men and there was a QUEUE!! We waited for like, 20 mins? Which isn’t bad. But the food looked EPIC! It was at the top of a shopping mall, alongside other restaurants; which also looked yum. There was even a Disney themed one for a dark battle game they gave here called Twisted Wonderland.

The food was epic. I wore a bib (for laughs, but also because messy?). We ordered cheesy gyoza which were the best. They were crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside. Holy shit. Ben ordered 2/10 chilli which came with a cereal bowl with almost 3/4 of a cup of chilli flakes — we joked about what 10/10 chilli would be and if they just brought you a wheelbarrow.

After the ramen, we walked to Omiyode Yokocho which is an alley of eateries. I kind of wish we had more time here now because theres so much to explore. THIS HAPPENS EVERY TIME!!

Tomorrow we are off to Disneyland!! IG Post:

"Oops. I drank too much and wrote myself off. I tried to eat McDonald’s but couldn’t. So I ended up sleeping until 4pm and then decided it was time to finally get Tomato Ramen.

I’ve literally been dying to come back to Tokyo to have this chain of ramen since 2019 and it was so good. Tomato based, Italian Ramen. The dumplings were next level. I’m going to need to go back. 🥰"

"It took me three attempts to post this so here we go again 😂

After drinking too much in Shinjuku on Friday night, I wrote myself off and stayed in bed until 4pm with probably the worst hangover I've ever had abroad. Oops! But, a day of relaxing is probably needed because we've done approximately 150kms walking since we got to Japan. Eep!

When I could function, we adventured to get Tomato Ramen which was great. Then, to the Shinjuku Disney store. Which only opened a few weeks ago. It was lovely. I cried. Of course. 🥲

Then we wandered around Shinjuku, looking around Omiyode Yokocho to get some Street food but they were busy (it was a Saturday night after all). Then back to the hotel to pack for our last stop... Tokyo Disney Resort!"

#japan travel #food photography #alexinwonderlust #Japan #Shinjuku #ramen #Japan 2022 #bennyandthelex #travelblog #traveladdict #travelphotos #adventure #explore #escape #seetheworld #holiday #travel #igtravel #instapassport #ig_travel #traveller #travelgram #travelbug #travelpics #instatravel #travelgoals #japan #tokyo #bennyandthelexadventures #foodadventures