Hitoyoshi Steam Locomotive ＳＬ人吉

http://www.jrkyushu.co.jp/kumamoto/train/sl-hitoyoshi.html

Finally saw a steam locomotive in action when I waited for the train to back to Kumamoto Station 熊本駅 in Kawashiri station 川尻駅.

Normally, I could just catch a glimpse of this in the Kumamoto station when it stopped. I was so excited when I heard the sound of the engine, I quickly switch on my camera video mode and start to take the video as soon as I could see the train.

Tokyo 4 days Trip - Day 2 (One Day in Tokyo Disneyland)

4th November 2011

Friday, not a public holiday. Only me and my 2 other friends took annual leave and went to Disneyland, we don't want to go on weekends because it would mean more people. The train station to Disneyland Station got an airport feel in it with the automatic walk way. We almost lost our way in the station, luckily we saw some kids dressed like they were going to Disneyland, we just followed them.  

reached Disneyland!

Tokyo 4 days Trip - Day 1

3rd November 2011

A public holiday. So, I went to Tokyo on 2nd November night. Since this was the first time I took flight alone, so a little bit nervous. After reach Haneda Airport, I took the Kyokyu line 京急空港線 to Shinagawa 品川. Then, Yokosuka lie 横須賀線 to Musashi Kosugi 武蔵小杉. I was supposed to take another train to Shinmaruko 新丸子. However, I lost my way inside the Musagi Kosugi Station. So, I have to call my friend, Chu to rescue me. Luckily, she was in the station too, just coming back from dinner. So, Chu found me and brought me to her apartment. She was very kind to accommodate me for my Tokyo trip. She brought me to a noodle shop when she knew that I haven't had my dinner. The noodle shop was operated by a Shanghai lady, the portion was so big until I couldn't finish it although it was delicious. I couldn't help laughing when eating because another friend of mine who lived at that area always have supper at the shop. She told me before that she would ask for noodle soup and dumpling 餃子, I thought the portion was small!

On 3rd November morning, a group of us took train to Tokyo Station 東京駅 to go to Tokyo Imperial Palace 皇居. We met a lot of people who jogged around that area. I couldn't believe when I saw another  Spectacles bridge 眼鏡橋, so funny! Looking at it, I thought of the spectacles bridge in Nagasaki.

Imperial Palace

Steam Sweet Potato Using Rice Cooker

I like sweet potato, whether it is sweet potato soup (dessert) or steamed or fried. I like to buy a packet of sweet potatoes and steam one piece when I cook the rice. (the lazy people style!)

① peel the skin

② just put the sweet potatoes inside the rice cooker with the rice and on the power

③ rice cooked together with the sweet potatoes

④ eating!

Golden Week 2012 - The Wonder of Nature Kamikochi 上高地

2nd May 2012

Woke up to have a good fulfilling breakfast. After, we went to Matsumoto Station to buy ticket for Kamikochi, it costs 4400 yen. The ride includes train for "Matsumoto 松本- Shinshimashima 新島々" and bus for "Shinshimashima 新島々- Kamikochi 上高地". Then, we waited for the train. Since it was still early morning, there were not many people on the shinshimashima bound train, we claimed one car for ourselves. Reached the Shinshimashima bus terminal on 8.32am, then we quickly board the bus to Kamikochi. 

One interesting thing for Kamikochi was that one cannot drives there. One have to park the car way before reaching Kamikochi and take a bus or going with bicycle. From a blog I read, the blogger suggested that it was better not to ride on bicycle because it was terrifying when passing all the tunnels. The buses will zooming though the cyclist and the tunnels were narrow. So, the best method is to take bus. 

Matsumoto 松本- Shinshimashima 新島々 train

Winter Holiday in Tohoku Region - 3rd January 2012 (Yamagata)

After breakfast at the hotel, we went out for a onsen session. First, our target was Dairotenburo 大露天風呂, however it was closed during winter due to the ski activities. People who were skiing can see the pool, hence it was closed. So, we went to another lesser known onsen.

view after woke up from the hotel's room

view from the hotel's room

the open air onsen 露天温泉

Winter Holiday in Tohoku Region - 2nd January 2012 (Yamagata 山形)

We took bus from Yamagata Station 山形駅 to Yamagata Zao Onsen 山形蔵王温泉. The place was famous for onsen and ski. The main reason we came here was to see Zao Snow Monsters, secondly was to ski.

Ski slope of Zao Onsen

First, we went to check in into the hotel 堺屋旅館, we entered though the back door, and we wondered why there was no people around, so funny. Then, we went to the ski wear shop to rent the ski wear and snowboard. Then, we bought tickets for the ski lift which includes the cable car to the snow monsters station. The tickets were magnetic type and we had to pay something like deposits, when the day finished and tickets were returned to the vending machine, the deposits would be returned. There was many routes, for me, of course the beginner course.

Winter Holiday in Tohoku Region - 1st Jan 2012 (Akita 秋田)

Bus stop (waiting for the bus to Nyuto Onsen 乳頭温泉)

Woke up to have a very sumptuous breakfast. After that, leave that hotel to take shuttle bus to Nyuto Onsen 乳頭温泉 (if translate directly, it means nipple onsen. Some website stated that the name comes from the milky colour of the hot spring water, and some stated that the name comes from nearby Mt. Nyuto). The shuttle bus stop was quite a distance from the hotel. With the big back pack, although the weather was kind of cool, I felt difficulty of breathing.

on the way to Nyuto Onsen

the banner for Nyuto onsen

The sound of insects accompanied me to sleep!

After living in Kumamoto for a year, moving to Nakatsu in Oita was really an eye opener. Kumamoto is at least a city, while Nakatsu is a small town and there are many farms. So, during night time, I could hear insects chirping sound. It was not annoying, I actually felt calm listening to that.

Golden Week 2012 - Around Matsumoto City 松本市

1st May 2012

After back from Kusatsu Onsen, we toured around Matsumoto City. 

First time see a map just painted on unpainted wood planks

Below was a photo of the inner city loop bus. One can buy a one day pass for 500 yen. 

Town Sneaker (Matsumoto City Tour Bus)

Golden Week 2012 - Kusatsu Onsen 草津温泉

1st May 2012

From Matsumoto city, we rented a car to go to Kusatsu, a place famous for onsen in Gumma prefecture 群馬県. We chose a hilly road to go there to save on toll money, however, the road was so curvy that my friend ended up vomiting. Since we could use the telephone number to locate the place on GPS, I found the telephone number from the website and it brought us to a free parking lot near the Sainokawahararotenfuro 西の河原露天風呂. If we parked inside the town area 西の河原通り (shopping street), we would have to face traffic jam and pay for the parking lot. 

西の河原露天風呂 (most famous onsen in Kusatsu)

Kumamoto invaded by Kumamon くまモン

Kumamon Self Introduction

http://kumamon-official.jp/profile

The World's first Instant Noodle - Nissin Chicken Ramen 日清チキンラーメン

After I visited Instant Noodle Museum in Osaka, I always wanted to try the Chicken Ramen Instant Noodle by Nissin. After all, this was the world's first instant noodle. However, the one I saw was sold in 5 packs per set. So, I finally bought it when I saw individual packet for sell in a supermarket here. It cost 80 yen per packet.

Below shows a video for a commercial of the Nisshin Chicken Ramen back in the old days. Kind of funny!