I like side-trips. Feeling ko nasulit ko na kaagad ang airfare when I'm able to go to different cities in one trip.

What I like about Osaka, or actually Japan in general, is that it is easy to go to these day-tours because everything's accessible naman via their well-planned train system. But before the tips, here are some morning photos from our Day 2!

View from our Airbnb's balcony:

Back in Manila, but my heart is still in Japan. I remember during my first day back in Manila, I woke up searching for the rush that only comes with traveling. Then I realized I'm back in my room with no schedules for the day. It's always a love-hate, bitter-sweet thing to retire after all the fun.

If it's not yet obvious, I am all for hostels and Airbnb when traveling. Luxury accommodation can wait. For now, while still budget traveling, I'd rather spend on other things and just book for a convenient and affordable place where I can safely leave my luggage and rest for the night.

This was our room in Osaka, Japan last April 2015. Ate booked this room via Airbnb.

March 22, 2015, Osaka, Japan

My Ate and I didn't really go to Japan mainly for the cherry blossom season, or the food trip and shopping, our first and common agenda was actually to go to the Universal Studios Japan's Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Both Potterheads, late last year we decided to pikit-mata save up for this trip just so we can finally immerse in this world we've long been dreaming to see and feel for a long long time.

Surprise! I did took out my SLR during my Japan trip after all, haha! I was able to capture a few "quality" OOTD with a camera (and not just my iPhone) during our first day of tour. It was during our first sighting of Cherry Blossom Trees at the Osaka Castle Park vicinity, so I immediately stood next to it and handed Ate my cam sapilitan. Haha. I can't blame her, though. Sa totoo lang, bilib na ako sa mga nakaka OOTD pa during their travels. I often just let my mind wander for a change, and see the world without a camera lens in between my eyes and the view. But seeing these better photos makes me regret just using my iPhone for the whole trip, oh well. Hindi na masama. I am a blogger anyway, not a photographer (dami sinabi! Hahaha!).

There are so many things that I admire about the Japanese people in general. When Gervin, during our long night walk in Shinjuku and halfway through my Japanagon adventures, asked me what I think of the Japanese people... my top of mind was that they are so sooo polite. The night when I got back from the trip, the family had dinner in Rockwell and we were a bit early. I entered different stores and suddenly missed the Japanese people's automatic "irrashaimase!" or "ohayō gozaimasu!" greetings whenever I enter or exit a boutique, or pay for something. Nakaka-LSS a!


Dotonbori, our area in Osaka during our first 6 nights in Japan.

I am super excited to post about my Japan trip, but it's so hard to organize all the photos, finish my Easter wedding client projects, while attending a Holy Week recollection in the morning! But I decided earlier on that I will make time for this, while still fresh! 

Everything's so interesting in this trip, it's probably one of my most favorite and babalikan ko talagang bansa. My Ate and I stayed in Japan for around 12 days, but the first and last days nakalaan lang talaga for the flights. So technically, this post is dedicated for our Day Zero in Japan (the start of a blog series)...