farshyn

I’ve always dreamed of visiting castles so when I got to be in Japan, I made visiting Osaka Castle a priority. Osaka Castle was built in 1583 by Hideyoshi Toyotomi, a powerful feudal lord and warrior during the Sengoku period. The castle was destroyed and rebuilt plenty of times (due to war and a lightning storm) and now it stands as a historical site visited by thousands of people every year. The closest stations are Morinomiya and Osakajokoen Station. Good thing that the weather was pleasant because it was quite a walk to the main tower as it took us about 15-20 minutes.

Entrance to the park and castle grounds is free. If you want to go inside the castle, which is a museum, admission fee is 600 yen. I recommend getting the Osaka Amazing Pass, which you can use for unlimited train and bus rides and entry to Osaka’s top tourist attractions. We just had to present that pass for entry.

The museum details the history of Osaka and the castle. It also showcases the life and work of Hideyoshi Toyotomi.

Start from the eight floor of the castle to see the skyline view of the city. It was kinda tiring to climb the stairs since there's no elevator access on some floors so go straight to the top first then make your way down each floor.

Visiting the plum garden was one of the things I looked forward as well since cherry blossoms weren’t in season yet.

There’s a souvenir shop on the eight floor and on the first floor of the castle.

Had a fun time at ESGS wth Neil Lee last sunday. I saw Jin Joson [behindinfinity] (I've been a fan since DeviantArt days), the Overwatch cosplay group I only used to see online, plenty of Kimetsu no Yaiba merch, and more. Check out the video we made: https://youtu.be/vZk8BP4D_tE

D,Va figma. Probably, the only thing I liked in the whole convention. Haha.

Last March, Neil and I decided to go to the National Museum of Natural History. It was always crowded ever since it has been announced that it will open to the public but thankfully, the crowd was bearable when we went. Entrance is free, by the way.

Aside from the usual museum rules (like no touching of the artwork or specimens, no food and drinks, no flash, etc.), bags bigger than a letter size paper should be deposited by the entrance. Perhaps one of the reasons why is to lessen the chance of people bumping into the displays with their bags and to lessen the chance of having the displays stolen. Haha.

Here are few snaps of the things I found interesting.

This is the area where you could trace pressed leaves.

Reminds me of the time we went to Morong, Bataan to release baby sea turtles.

I was so happy when I found the floor full of different minerals that can be found here in the Philippines. I have a small collection of crystals and seeing specimens I haven’t seen before brings me joy. Haha

View of the Tree of Life from the top most floor.

Neil and I both want to have a relaxing vacation that’s why we didn’t scrimp on our accommodation. We chose Canvas Boutique Hotel because of the artsy, airy, and modern feel of the hotel. We booked a room a week before our trip through Agoda.com for PHP 9,800 for two nights inclusive of breakfast.

Ceiling decor reminiscent of the Puerto Princesa Underground River

Painted hallways. I’ve read that each room, hallway, wall is painted by a different artist.

This is the Deluxe King Room on the 4th floor. I think the mural depicts diwatas inside a cave?

The room is very spacious and minimal, just the way we like it.

Retro telephone to contact the front desk.

The bathroom. The toilet and the shower are separate.

The sink. I love the concept of an open wardrobe because you won’t be able to forget your stuff just in case you hung something.

The pool area. Because of the photos I saw online, I thought they had a bigger pool but it was smaller when I saw it in person. However, it’s still not disappoint because of the trees surrounding the area. 

Painted Table is the hotel’s restaurant. We loved the good food served by this place. I have a separate post on this restaurant here.

The total ambience of the Painted Table was airy and relaxing. The place had a high ceiling and lots of windows so there was plenty of natural light coming in.

The “Painted Table”. This was a long table and my phone’s camera could only capture this part of the table.

The staff were friendly and accommodating.

Yes to minimalism. Haha

Initially, I thought breakfast would be plated based on a review I read online. But when we got there, I was surprised that breakfast was buffet. The selection was enough to give variation to the guests. 

Day 1 breakfast: Corn and Cabbage, Bacon, Pandan Rice, Pancake, Chicken something

Day 2 breakfast: Waffle, Bacon, Chicken something again, Potatoes, Sausage

We always sat on these chairs. So comfy and visually appealing. Haha

We decided to have our last meal here and it was totally a good decision because of the great food!

Fish Salpicao. THIS IS SOOOO GOOOD. <3

Initially, we were deciding to book our city tour (PHP 600 each) through klook.com because we’ll go around in a van but we went against it and decided to hire a tricycle driver for PHP 700 to take us around the city. And we were glad that we did because not only we saved money but we had control of our time on each place. It was gloomy that day so it wasn’t hot. We actually enjoyed the fresh wind.

Here’s a list of the places we went:

• Immaculate Concepcion Cathedral • Plaza Cuartel • Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center • Binuatan Weaving Center • Palawan Butterfly Ecological Garden and Tribal Village • Mitra's Ranch • Baker's Hill • La Terrasse Cafe

First stop, Immaculate Conception Cathedral. There was a mass going on and I think it was in latin.

Souvenir shop outside the Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center. We looked around while waiting for our turn inside.

They’re massive. While walking above their pens, I was thinking, “Do they jump? Will they jump on us?” Thankfully, they didn’t.

The crocodiles seem to be well taken care of. Although the ironic thing is, they have a restaurant inside the conservation center and their specialty dish is Crocodile meat. So, idk. HAHA

They taught us the different types of grass they use and how to use the loom. I actually enjoyed the experience.

We were told that famous designers order bulk from them. 

They also have a shop full of different items featuring the weaves. The quality is superb and they’re affordable, too! Neil bought me a circular bag from this place. I’m impressed that they are up with modern trends for their products.

Butterfly Garden. I thought that I wouldn’t enjoy this place because I was expecting it to be underwhelming. But I found it as nice and relaxing place. 

There were plenty of butterflies and I learned that bananas are one of the food alternatives for them.

The staff ushered us, along with a group of Korean tourists to the Tribal village shortly after entering the garden. Different families of the Palaw’an tribe stay for a week or so here to give the guests an insight of how they live, hunt, create music, and such. Palaw’an is one of the many indigenous people of Palawan.

They showed us how they create fire instantly.

Mitra’s Ranch. There was really nothing exciting about this place save for the zipline experience and the teensy view of Honda Bay. I recommend skipping this place if you’re on a tight schedule.

Last stop for the city tour was Baker’s Hill. It’s famous for its special hopia, which we missed out on because they were already sold out. This place is very family friendly and there are plenty of spots you can take your photos. 

It was only November 10, but they were already setting up their Christmas decorations.

Bootleg Shrek and family and Puss in Boots. 

A sad photo of a peacock lol. 

This looks like a plate of an art student executed in real life. lol.

Baker’s Hill is quite a large place with nice scenery save for the bootleg Shrek. lol.

A nice dinner from a fancy restaurant, La Terrasse Cafe. We thought of eating somewhere expensive during our trip so we decided to have our dinner here. We ordered the Adobo Overload and the Pan seared Fish Fillet. The serving was big enough for three people and we were so full afterwards.The downside of this place is the lighting. We were struggling to eat our food because of the poor lighting and we were just depending on the small candle light. Better to eat here during the day.

Going to Puerto Princesa was a spontaneous decision after I stumbled upon a seat sale from Air Asia. We’ve booked our flight a year in advance. It was weekend trip and our itinerary was pretty minimal.

Manila Skyline.

Touchdown Puerto Princesa! 

We didn’t have any clue on how to contact the hotel since they weren’t replying to my messages or calls so I was kinda antsy about the airport transfer. But thank God, Neil and I took a chance at looking at the area where hotel drivers waited. There was kuya holding the Canvas Boutique Hotel signage so I asked if he was waiting for us and he confirmed that he was. So that was a relief. And getting to the hotel was only a two-minute drive!

Since LRC 908 Mall was just across our hotel, we decide to go and do some early pasalubong shopping since we were still waiting to check-in. We had an early flight, arrived early in the morning so we couldn’t check in until 1PM since the rooms were fully accommodated.

There were plenty of affordable trinkets and goodies to choose from and bring back to your family and friends. 

Funny how some of the plushies had “Malaysia” embroidered to it.

Puerto Princesa is the cashew capital of the Philippines so it just makes sense that you can see it everywhere. I bought several snacks to try and I particularly liked the Cashew Brittle. The Cashew Tart was very meh.

Most of the snacks are 3 for 100.

Here you can also buy dried fish, squid, etc. I find them kinda pricey compared to palengkes but that’s probably because it’s sold in a souvenir shop and tourists are willing to pay for whatever they think is new/interesting to them.

Next stop we visited after settling down in our room was the Puerto Princesa Baywalk. We enjoyed walking and enjoying the november breeze. There were plenty of locals too, chilling, kids biking, and some students were even practicing their dance presentations.

A photo with the iconic Red House--Taiwan’s first public market. This red-brick octagonal structure was built in 1908 and took on the "eight trigrams (bagua)" design. It is now a multifunctional cultural and creative centre.

Most of the shops were still closed when we passed by at 10AM.

It was fairly easy to navigate the train system of Taiwan and having an Easy Card is really convenient for going around Taipei.

Ximeding comes alive at night with neon lights and bustling crowd. 

The famous claw machines. Each play costs 10 NTD and they have a coin exchanger if you have large bills.

I love love this biscuit! I’m definitely gonna get more of this when I go back.

Take advantage of the 5 + 1 deal when buying snacks to bring home. They also have free taste so you’ll know what to get more of.

Peanut Nougat. So soft, so good. There are other variants, too. Almond nougat, for example but it’s pricier.

Pineapple Cake.

The entrance to Shifen Waterfalls.

Cute sky lantern popsicles!

It’s a 20-minute walk to the waterfalls. 

Shifen Waterfalls. It’s sometimes referred to as Little Niagara Falls. This is what you see when you arrive at the first viewing deck.

Even though the weather was cold and gloomy, it was the perfect place to unwind after a long day.

We tried going to the other side of the falls to see the front view but we realized that we were going the wrong way so we just decided to go back.

The calm waters.

Hundreds of red ribbon wishes tied to a wishing tree. It is said that oftentimes, wishes tied there come true. The act of tying red ribbons on a tree is a traditional Chinese belief.

I just had to take a photo with the sky lantern night lights on display. 

Yehliu Geopark was a refreshing sight after being in the city for way too long. Hearing the ocean waves was very relaxing along with the cold weather.

Ticket Booth. However, you can also purchase your ticket online so you can just walk straight to the entrance.

A replica of the Queen’s Head.

What you see from the viewing deck. I believe those are called “Mushroom Rock”

This is called the Gueitou Mountain, a cuesta--a kind of ridge featuring a stiff slope on one side and a gentle slope on the other side.

The allotted tour time (1 hour) was not enough to explore the geopark. It was crowded in the area near the entrance/exit but as you go further near the ocean, the crowd gets thinner.

Blending in. This doggo seems to be very relaxed.

Safety reminder that you should not go beyond the red line because of the unpredictable waves.

Shilin Night Market is one of the famous night markets in Taiwan. People flock here to try popular street food such as the torched beef, pepper pork buns, stinky tofu, taiwanese saugages, and much more. This is also the place to be in the city when you’re looking for affordable souvenirs and things to take home. 

We arrived quite early so we witnessed vendors still setting up their game stalls. 

I was so surprised when I saw these custard apples. They were so big, almost about the size of my head. However, it was too pricey for me. I thought it was only 100 NTD but when I asked the vendor, he said that it was 200 NTD. That’s like 400 pesos and I wouldn’t spend that much for a single fruit. Sigh.

These wooden keychains in the shape of the island can be seen in any shop. I think it was 80 NTD/PHP160. 

When I saw these items, I felt like I was in 168 Mall/Divisoria. lol. Since I’m 100% sure that they’re made from China, I kind of expected them to sell it the same price as the ones in Divi, but nooo. It was about 400% more expensive. 

The same keychains you see in Binondo. lol

Torched Beef for 100 NTD. We chose teriyaki as the sauce and it was tasty. Kanina nalang kulang.

This alley reminded me of Ehwa Shopping District and Myeongdong because of the influences of korean fashion with the selection. However, it was pricier here.

I guess this is where food parks here in PH got their idea with the giant squid.

TBH, the sausage tasted like longganisa. lol. The skewed chicken tasted good but I still prefer Inasal over it. HAHA

TAKOYAKI YASSSS.

IT WAS SO GOOD AND CHEESY. IT DIDN’T DISAPPOINT.

This was cute and kind of creepy at the same time. Reminded me of the art photos on Flickr. lol

Because of the fascinating resemblance between the Jiufen and the movie Spirited Away, they say that Jiufen is the little mountain village that inspired the movie, however, Miyazaki clarified that it wasn’t. 

It was cold and gloomy even if it was 1PM in the afternoon. 

It was crowded even on a weekday. 

Character luggage tags

If you plan to buy keychains, magnets, and other trinkets, buy them here at Jiufen. It’s about two times cheaper than the ones being sold in the city.

Secret alleyways that leads to who knows where.

This is where we had our lunch. We all had braised pork rice and xiao long bao. I liked the xiao long bao but I find the braised pork rice too fatty for my preference. We ate our food quickly because we wanted to go see the AMEI Tea House but unfortunately, we weren’t able to go because of the crowded street and time constraints.

AAHH NOUGAT :O It’s one of the must-buy items when you go to Taiwan. I wish I bought from this shop because they had plenty of variants. 

Mochi is quite popular in Taiwan.

The crowded streets of Jiufen. It was kind of hard to see most of the items in display as there was plenty of people occupying the area. It seems like you really have to know what you’re looking for when you go here. 

Dried mushrooms and other vegetables.

Peanut Ice Cream! The best snack I ever had in Taiwan. It has two scoops of red bean ice cream with peanut brittle shavings wrapped in an egg roll. It costs 40 NTD.

I don’t know why they display their chicken with the heads still attached.

At 1,671 ft, Taipei 101 used to be the tallest building in the world from March 2004 to 10 March 2010. It was designed to withstand typhoon winds and earthquake tremors, having a tuned mass damper that absorbs energy/vibration.

While the building itself is impressive, there wasn’t much to see inside save for designer boutiques. However, you can go up to observatory deck at the 89th floor to see a panoramic view of Taipei. The ticket is kinda pricey but you can book through Klook for a discount.

This sculpture was made from the retired cable used for the high-speed elevator. It is called Infinite Life by Kang Mu Xiang.

There was also a version of Robert Indiana‘s Love sculpture outside.

Wood wonderland! Every single thing is basically made out of wood. I remember back in grade school, our teacher would give us sand paper and disassembled parts made out of wood and it’ll be our project. The whole class would be busy sanding the wood and assembling and painting them.

Cute fox that I wanted to take home.

I think wood is the best material to use for toys.

It’s such an interactive place, you could find yourself being here for hours.

Most of the items on display can be bought, just take note of the code on the item and ask the store assistants if they have it in stock.

Pooh Bear. <3

They also sell tiny succulents but tbh, it’s so pricey because they’re just cuttings from the mother plant. lol.

But they’re really interesting to look at.

Lookie! A tiny dino carrying a cactus on its back.

Flower crowns with paper cut flowers. So delicate.