MrUpUpUp's Blog

Mrupupup went to Seoul, South Korea. It was a great trip. I loved Seoul after since the K-wave swept through our TV screens. Many things to see in South Korea. Here goes the trip day 1. Landed in Seoul transit via Kuala Lumpur. The airport in Seoul is pretty clean place. You can check out the eating place 'Food on Air' that serves decent Korean food at good prices. Go to the basement level of the arrival hall of the airport. The basement food court of Incheon Airport served a nice set of dumplings and bibimbap for late breakfast or lunch. Pretty nice and hot food after a long flight.

Wakey Wakey, Mrupupup! Time to travel from Takayama (really slow pace sleepy town) to Kanazawa via train. Out we checked out from Washington Plaza Takayama Hotel, it was a cold day in December. The hotel person said we could go. Mrupupup found this hotel a bit of stiff business class hotel, not too friendly though.           Along the way to the train station which was just across the road from the hotel, Mrupupup bought a bento set and nice box of fresh strawberry (about SGD4 - quite cheap compared to imported ones from Japan) for the train ride. Mrupupup had to queue up for the train ride half an hour before the train came as we did not have reserved seats. Surprisingly, the queue had many Singaporeans and bunch of Asian people.           As the train came, we rushed in to get the best seats so as to enjoy our meal on board and the view outside. The train had wide view window which allowed one to see the meadows, farm land, pretty houses, mountains and Japanese countryside (much

Mrupupup went to Shirakawa-go and Gokayama for the famous Thatched Houses that had roof shaped like 'praying hands'. Mrupupup took the bus from Takayama to go to these two places. The bus journey would take about 1 hour. Do queue early before the bus arrives as there would be many Japanese wanting to visit these areas. Once board the bus, prepare for a long journey to these places. Do prepare snacks and water for the journey. Do read the bus time table properly as Mrupupup nearly miss the bus. You could take the bus and go to the villages of Shirakawa-go (which is more famous) and the other Gokayama villages, Mrupupup went to one of the Gokayama village named Suganuma. If you are short of time, Mrupupup thinks Shirakawa-go would be enough for a day visit. Mrupupup never stay overnight in the village to enjoy the quietness, but one could stay overnight. Mrupupup saw many tourists dragging their luggages after an overnight stay. However, the villages got pretty dark from 5p

             Hida Furuakawa, in Gifu prefecture, is a few train stops away from Takayama where Mrupupup was staying. Hida Furukawa is a nice Japanese town. A quiet town when Mrupupup visited in early December.               The interesting part of Hida Furukawa was the nice stream running through the town. As it was close to winter, the carp fish found along the river canal had been take away for hibernation. With the nice carp fish, the canal would be a great sight. Think this Hida Furukawa town, although small in size, was beautiful.              Take a stroll along the town, one could find peace among the houses and temples. Mrupupup bought a nice Japanese snack and matcha (green tea) ice cream to eat while sitting along the river canal. Mrupupup just felt in peace within this place. Mrupupup wondered if to stay in Hida Furukawa would be interesting.             As the sun sets by 5pm, time to go back to Takayama, about 20 minutes away. Good night Hida Furukawa!            

                Takayama in Japan is in the mountainous region. Mrupupup went to Takayama from Singapore. Mrupupup took a flight from Singapore to Nagoya airport. Then from the airport change the voucher of the Takayama Tourist pass for unlimited train travel. The voucher was changed at the Nagoya Train information counter at Nagoya Train Station area (a bit hard to find). If you get lost in Nagoya Train Station, just ask and the railway people would direct you.                 After changing for the 5 days Takayama Train pass, go take train to Takayama (about 1 hour 30 mins from Nagoya). Alight at Takayama train station, Mrupupup went to Washington Plaza Hotel Takayama. This hotel was very convenient as it was directly opposite the Takayama Train Station. The hotel was ok, but the hotel staff were a bit not friendly though. The room was alright and the best deal for this place was the close proximity to the train station.  Mrupupup's views of Takyama was that: 1. Sleepy place

Mrupupup went to dine at the Arashi City Square Mall Johor Bahru (basement level near to Nando's), Malaysia. Pretty good meal. Enjoyed the personalised steamboat. Mrupupup had the seafood and meat steamboat - about Malaysia Ringgit $28. Just placed the salmon, chicken, vegetables, mushroom, beef slices, meat balls and wait for the stuff to cook. Pretty fast to cook also. Do dip the cooked items with their special sauces. Very nice and healthy meal. Mrupupup's friend had a separate Japanese style cooked meat which was yummy too. Had a nice meal with friends and the Arsahi 's service was pretty quick and good. Do check out the menu for various steamboats and stir fry meals. Prices range from Ringgit $20 onwards.                        

  Shinkansen Japanese Bullet Train is a very pretty train. Mrupupup took the Shinkansen a few times and it never fails to amazes Mrupupup.   Mrupupup on this day took the Shinkansen to travel from Tokyo to the northern cities of Japan. Once inside the cabin of the Shinkansen, one would be in awe of the cleanliness of each seat. The cabin was also absolutely so 'peaceful' once the train pulls off from the platform. The bullet train would travel at speeds of 300km/hr. However, one would not feel the speed but the steadiness of the ride.   In the cabin, Mrupupup would look out the window and see the wonderful country side and built up areas of Tokyo. Mrupupup would be fascinated by Japanese society with its neatness, peace, zen and orderliness. Even in the Shinkansen train, one should not talk in a loud manner.   Zoom. The ride would take one to another city in 30mins. Before you knew it, you are ready to alight from the train. Oh, the music of the station stoppin

Mrupupup went to Jeju Island, South Korea. Along the coast of Jeju Island, there are female divers that dive into the waters off Jeju Island to bring fresh catch of fishes, sea cucumbers, oysters and all sorts of fresh seafood. The female Jeju divers are tough and capable to dive in deep waters with just basic equipment. Along the way, Mrupupup managed to catch a group of female divers singing and serving their fresh seafood to their customers. The singing was spontaneous and the Korean people were so happy. Pretty impressed with their lives and happiness all around in the video clip below. If got time, do travel to Jeju Island to enjoy the beauty of this island.

Mrupupup recently went to Penang Malaysia. Well, for Mrupupup, the street art painted on the walls of Penang's historic Georgetown was something quite fascinating. Georgetown in Penang is an UNESCO heritage site filled with very nice old houses and small alleys that came with surprises of interesting street art. The street art in Georgetown made Mrupupup happy for it shows that art could liven up the place and brings an interesting perspective to life. Go to the historic Georgetown and find the street art in lanes like Armenian Street, Chulia Street, Love Lane, and some other streets! It would be fun to do that in Penang! And take many cool pictures! Who want some buns?   Look out for the mouse!       Mrupupup's favourite - of the mouse hiding from the big cat!