An endless walk around Hong Kong

Last week, my family and I traveled to Hong Kong for a little vacation. My sister and I did so much walking that every night, by the time we'd get back to our hotel room, we barely had the energy to walk or stand. In a city like Hong Kong, you've got to walk quickly! I find that early mornings, around 10 a.m., are the most peaceful and quiet time of the day.

I'm sorry for the lack of posts! I've been stuck in a rut lately. Currently doing some reflecting on life and what-not. I hope you are all doing well!

Memories of Spring

Many months have passed but the memories of spring are etched in my mind.

Taken in Osaka, Japan during early April. Forgive me for posting almost five months later, ha ha!

Around Ilocos in Three Days

Here are more pictures from my trip to Ilocos! My family and I only stayed there for three days, and with the little time we had, the tour guide brought us to as much tourist destinations as possible. I got to visit the famous Bangui Windmills, Paoay Church, Baluarte Zoo, and Vigan City, just to name a few. The tour was so jam-packed that I didn't have any time to go to the beach! Oh well.. With all the food I ate, I wouldn't have wanted to expose my large belly anyway. :3

Paradise in the Sun

Many moons ago, my family and I traveled north of Manila to tour around Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur. Here are some pictures I took when we visited the Kapurpurawan Rock Formation. Maybe you can tell from the bright and sunny sky (as well as the luminosity of these photos), but it was incredibly sunny and hot; I had to carry around an umbrella with me so that I wouldn't get sunburn. 

Heat aside, it was a wonderful experience visiting this place. We had to trek towards the actual monument, passing through fields of grass, hills, puddles of crystal clear water, and a lot of rocks. Some locals offered horse rides through the path for a quicker and less tiring walk, and there were even drink vendors in some spots, ha ha. On the way, I noticed a bridge and a path being constructed, which makes me a little sad that they're adulterating the natural landscape. Oh well, at least it would make the trek to the rock formation much safer. One of my mom's friends tripped and scraped her knee, although I'm sure that the view was worth a few battle scars.

Osaka on Film

Here are some of the photos I took using my Fujifilm Instax while I was in Osaka! The photos on the first row were taken during a visit to Osaka Castle Park. The cherry blossoms were blooming and it was absolutely wonderful walking around the park, although the photos are a little overexposed because the sun was shining very brightly that day. The second row of pictures was taken during a walk back to the hotel, often stopping by Mos Burger for some grub. Lastly, the third row of photos was taken at the ever-popular Glico sign. The one in the middle was taken at a nearby shopping area. I think the couple in the picture was embarrassed that they were included in the picture, ha ha! 

Sadly, these are all the photos I was able to take in Japan. Next time I'll be sure to ignore my sister's orders and abuse my Instax more. I hope you enjoy them. :3

Just Passing By

A simple yet picturesque suburb somewhere in Hokkaido which I, unfortunately, did not have the privilege of exploring.. I was only able to capture these pictures from inside the tour bus. Mounds of dirty snow, cute and colorful buildings, an occasional biker, and I was even able to see little Japanese kids on some sort of field trip! They were so adorable. And so tiny.

Dear to my heart

It had been a long day of sight-seeing and touring. When nightfall had come, I had arrived at the final stop for the day: the hotel. And despite my fatigue and weariness, I could not resist snapping a few photos of the beautiful area that surrounded the hotel. Dark, isolated, and cold. Hands down, this was the most wonderful evening I had during my trip to Japan, and the best hotel I had stayed in as well, Hotel Fukuhara in Shikaribetsu, Hokkaido. The hotel is in the vicinity of Lake Shikaribetsu and the Daisetsuzan National Park.  There were even igloos across the hotel which had a bar inside, but unfortunately, it was no longer open for visitors because the ice was melting. Although I couldn't visit the lake because it was too dangerous to come when the lake is frozen over, nor could I visit the igloo-bar, there was still a lot to do.This was the first hotel during my trip that had an onsen, a Japanese bath. And aside from this, I enjoyed a buffet dinner --- all Japanese food! I enjoyed several plates of salmon sashimi, tempura, chawanmushi, and best of all, I ate slices of tender beef that I cooked on my own. With all that food in my stomach, I had enough energy to partake in a nighttime snow tour, and that's exactly what I did.

Please forgive my messed up face. But here is a photo of me before leaving for the snow tour, dressed up a pink snow suit that was rented out by the tour guide. I was actually wearing several more layers of clothes underneath it, preparing for the coldest of colds. The tour started with a trek from the hotel, following an icy path towards the forest which wasn't very far away. Our tour guide, Charlie, wanted my family and I to get our eyes accustomed to the dark, because after a certain point in the trek, there was no light whatsoever. Nothing but the stars, the snow, and the trees. I don't quite know how long that trek lasted, but I enjoyed every second of it. There were times Charlie would make us keep quiet for a few moments, as we listened to pure silence, and if we listened hard enough, our own heartbeat. He also told us about the owls in Hokkaido, and what sounds they made, which was sort of funny.. Buu buu, said the owl, ha ha! And after that, Charlie also surprised us with a delicious cup of hot chocolate that he had in his jug. He made us guess what color the cup of hot chocolate was in absolute darkness. I wasn't able to guess correctly when he took out his tiny flashlight, but I just continued to enjoy my cup of hot chocolate in the snow and darkness. On the way back to the hotel, my siblings and I started playing on the large mounds of snow nearby. During that moment, that night, we were all kids again. And finally, I went to sleep in our traditional, tatami room. What a night.

Forgive me if my posts have been longer than usual. I want to encapsulate every wonderful memory I had in Japan, every detail I can possibly remember. This day most especially.

Norwegian Wood

In my mind, the Norwegian Wood is a magical place, where there are trees that surround you from all directions, asleep as the days of winter pass. Where it is quiet. Where one's footsteps digging deep into the layers of uncompacted snow is the loudest sound that can be heard.Where a fox's trails can be found, but not followed. Where the remnants of a woodpecker's breakfast lay on the ground. Where the snow wafts softly and quietly, caught in one's eyelashes from time to time. Where the breath becomes visible for a fleeting moment. Where the trees are scarred by water that freezes inside them, releasing a loud cracking sound, if you are lucky enough to catch it. Where the wind is still and the branches are unmoving. Where one can make her first snow angel. Where the trunk of a fallen tree becomes something you can lean on to rest. Where taking a single step can send one's leg falling deep into the snow.Where the cry of an unknown bird can be heard from afar.Where the temperature in the atmosphere is -15°Celsius or lower. Where perfect snowflakes fall gently onto one's wool gloves. Where the tip of one's nose becomes red and numb. Where one can have a cup of warm coffee, no matter how bland or bitter. Where one could read a book.Where one could stay for hours, deep in thought in the Norwegian Wood.

These pictures were taken during my trip to Japan, in Hokkaido, but this is how I would imagine Norwegian Wood to be.