MrUpUpUp's Blog

Cherry blossoms in bloom right here in tropical Singapore – this unexpected sight is what visitors will get to see at Gardens by the Bay’s latest floral display, “Blossom Beats”. About half of these  sakura  trees have started to bloom in this experimental floral display, and blooming is expected to continue over the next one to two weeks. This is the first time that visitors can see such a myriad of cherry blossoms, as well as other blossoms, in the Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay. More than 20 varieties of cherry blossoms, or  sakura , are showcased in the floral display. Visitors can look forward to seeing cultivars such as the  Prunus  Fujishidare which has pendulous branches, the  Prunus  Yedoenis Yoshino which stands out with its striking white flowers, and the  Prunus  Accolade, with its pale pink blooms. In addition to cherry blossoms, peach blossoms are in bloom too. One unusual variety on show is the  Prunus  Genpei Shidare which has flowers of  two different c

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Mrupupup attended the Arts Stage Singapore 2016 at Marina Bay Sands exhibition halls. The Art Stage Singapore 16 brought all the major galleries to show case their artists' work. The works of arts were really diverse and interesting. It was a great visual arts feast and this flagship event was the sixth edition.          There were works of arts from major countries like Japan, Indonesia, China, USA, Australia and etc. 173 galleries from 37 countries joined in this arts exhibition. However, there was a greater focus on South East Asian art. Well, the pieces could be really expensive like $200,000 for large Chinese man art to small pieces that costs $5000. Some of the pieces were thought provoking and stimulate Mrupupup's tiny brain cells. Mrupupup is not an artist but just interested in expanding the horizons of thought (Hope So!). The art exhibition was not cheap and costs $32 per person for entry and lasted four days in January 2016. Lucky got some kind sponsor for the entr

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