It took me a month to get down to finishing this journal but it's done!
Our last non-Legoland holiday was Taiwan in 2018 just before Kai entered primary school. We had wanted to go to Japan in 2020 before Yang entered primary school but you know, COVID. So no plans for Yu too. When travel restrictions were mostly lifted, Kai's PSLE was looming. So a post-PSLE trip it was!
Our previous long trips with kids -
India 2013,
Spain 2015 and
Taiwan 2018 - were planned with the help of travel agencies and/or driver-guides. Almost everything was settled for us.
This time, Sito and I planned everything ourselves. The transport was kind of confusing sometimes due to the many types of trains but we managed to sort them out. The only time we opted for private car was getting from the airport to our AirBnB so we didn't have to navigate the subway with our luggage at peak hour!
I was very nervous before the trip. We hadn't been on a long trip for years. I didn't want lizards coming in while we were away. I was afraid the house would be too damp and attract mould. In the end, we shut the house in to keep lizards out, and placed moisture absorber tubs everywhere. We even bought a dehumidifier about a year ago to battle humidity especially in Kai's room.
The planning started last year but we finally bought flight tickets in February. We spent the time in between to finalise the itinerary, book attractions, buy winter gear etc. And suddenly, the day came...
Wednesday, 4 Dec
Travel day
We're going on holiday!
Woke at 4.15-ish am and started making final prep. Both Kai and Yang woke early. Yu jumped up when I woke him, huh Japan already? :p
Our 6am ride with GrabFamily was rubbish. I had to ask the driver for the car seat?! He drove to the petrol station nearby to give me coz we boarded at a bus stop - I still have no idea how to get the to carpark without taking the stairs. Anyway, I used the carseat wrongly and realised it only when we were happily cruising towards the airport - winner *.*
Couldn't drop baggage as the machine couldn't match my face so we went to the counter for a quick drop-off. The attendant looked very cold but at the end when she saw Yu standing there staring at the disappearing suitcase, she asked if he wanted to go up (on the weighing belt)!
Two helpful (or playful?) kids
Two kaypohs must crowd around the machine
Ok breakfast next. Macs in the transit area. Then I bought some baojiwan on my way to the toilet. I had a major tummy ache the night before and almost had to puke and faint
like in Vivo. I recall that I had the same thing the day before our Spain trip and also during our Taiwan trip. Grrr...
The boys didn't really remember their previous flights so it was like first time? Sito sat with Kai while I sat with the brothers behind them. Spent the flight watching movies. Yang and Yu also listened to songs. No more games on the system, maybe coz now there's no more separate control thingy.
Ready to fly!
Oh my, Kai looks so much like Sito!
These two self-entertained
I was concerned about turbulence given that terrible incident some months ago. But the kids didn't go to the toilet at all so yes, all strapped in!
We had a boo boo at the immigration - we thought we needed only one QR code but nope, each had to have a QR code. Almost late for the driver - ¥5000 for every hour late! Phew! We came out not wearing our jackets but it wasn't too cold then. The boys felt it at once though - much colder than back home!
The trip to our apartment took about an hour. Unpacked a bit while Kai and Yu pooped. Then we went downstairs for dinner.
Curry udon!
The portion was very big at
Gokuraku Udon TKU! It was so yummy! But the kids' white hoodies were ruined haha! I managed to get rid of more of the yellow stain when back home, using the stain remover, but they remain pretty much ruined...
This was the first time that I had to wash clothes on holiday. I didn't even plan to wash on the first day but I realised quickly that the washer was too small and there wasn't enough drying space.
We went to a nearby konbini and went back to rest. The apartment seemed like a jumbo unit of three small studios coz there were three doors outside. But it was still small. So happy that I brought door hangers and even hangers! No wardrobe here; only a tension rod thingy in hole in wall and two coat racks. The outdoor rack was too low but thankfully there was a foldable indoor rack to dry our laundry.
Behind the main door
Clipped to the sliding door to hang towels; notice the small TV
There were two WCs and two baths just Iike home! Yu got the bidet seat buttons figured out quickly. Yang loved the warm seat, haha!
Kids ended up playing games on Kai bed on the first night
Thursday, 5 Dec
Cup noodles in the city
First on our to-do list was to get ICOCA cards for everyone. But we couldn't get child cards at the vending machine of our nearest station, Awaza. It didn't matter since the fare is the same with or without the cards, which only make things more convenient.
Eventually, we found a counter aka みどりの窓口 at Osaka JR and got the cards. The staff asked for their age and for Kai, whether he was in elementary school - 12yo in junior high would not be able to get child cards. Passports were needed for verification and their cards carried their name.
And off to Ikeda we went! Yang was hungry so we got him a sandwich at Lawson at Ikeda station. Kai and Yu had yoghurt drinks.
It was a short walk to the Cup Noodles Museum. As we neared, Yu commented that it was an uninviting building, haha!
We walked the exhibits a bit before assembling our own cup noodles.
So handsome in their jeans and jackets!
Taken by Yang
Sito likes ramen, cup or bowl :)
Playing with the various exhibits
Yang kept feeling warm along the trip here and there. Had to get him to at least wear his jacket albeit unzipped when we were outdoor!
Decorating our cups
What are they drawing?
Selecting toppings - I wonder if the staff was amused by our mix of Japanese (tamago!) and English (just about everything else)
With their own protected bag of cup noodles!
We deflated and dumped the carriers back in the apartment as they couldn't go in planes.
Lunch was at Yayoi near the museum. Different menu from Singapore's but the free flow rice was the same, except we couldn't have any extra rice!
First, must play at a little park we passed by
Actually the area was rather residential. We even passed by a Yakult auntie arranging goods on her bike!! Yakult auntie leh!
Kai said it was awesome to have both noodles and rice in his meal!
Yu "plane fed" Yang some jelly from his kiddy meal
Kai too! So Yu called him a baby :p
Back to Osaka-Umeda area. Explored Pokémon centre, which also included Nintendo and others. We played Super Mario Party mini games and let the kids get a gacha each but they weren't super keen, especially Kai...
I joined them for mini games
I must do crazy things...
"What will I get..."
Next was our first ferris wheel of the trip. Why is it called HEP Five??
Sito sat with Kai
Me with the brothers coz each car takes only four
Yang: What if this drops?
Mama: Then see you next life!
Coz we read 济公 comics before and it talked about reincarnation. But I didn't expect Yu to add in a flat tone: Goodbye cruel world.. Funny!
Pretty decor when we alighted from the ferris wheel
It was kind of cold in there...
A parfait :)
Sito and I ate so much... But the kids didn't seem to like it much. Kai preferred the karaage. Best, Yu woke twice at night coz he didn't feel good. Second time at 3 am, he puked in the toilet bowl. I'm so glad he had enough practice...! Think he had too much ice cream with strawberry sauce - very obvious colour...!
Friday, 6 Dec
Ninjas and samurais
Yu's tummy still didn't feel good in the morning so I put some oil on him. Magic oil, this one.
The kids had some milk we bought from the konbini the night before. They didn't like it. We thought it was the same old milk??
Anyway, the plan was to go to Kyoto. No, not for the temples but for ninjas and samurais!
It was a long ride. Took the subway and changed at Awaji - different from the one for Saturday - to a Randen train. The subway was quite ex but the Randen was a flat fare paid at the exit. This train goes to Arashiyama. The whole train was filled with tourists heading there. We were the only ones who got off before Arashiyama!
Train control with a staff inside
We bought entry tickets to the
Toei Kyoto Studio Park on Klook beforehand. Added on the attraction pass at the counter, and it was worth it, ¥1,300 per pax for unlimited entry to four attractions.
Chinchin train at Meiji street
Look like that scene from Spirited Away not?
Yang spotted a samurai!
Must hold the sword
Edo town Nakamura theatre
Edo town Port town - the dragon appeared!
My ninjas :)
Watch a ninja show - Shinobi Highway - about some secret document. Lots of fighting. There was funny audience interaction. It was all in Japanese but we enjoyed it!
Udon for lunch
And Kai's loose tooth came off, yeah! Easier to eat the rest of the holiday!
I went to The Cursed Doll haunted house with Kai and Yang. Pitch dark. We didn't do the mission else I would have freaked out. Sito and Kai did the mission later. Yup, big scare at end of mission.
We met Sito and Yu at the Ninja Mystery House. They completed it while we were waiting for our turn, and they went in with us again. All the doors were very fun!
The Sword N Go Ninja Training Dojo gave each of us an air sword but was less fun. More kiddy.
They played a tikam game
There was, strangely, an Evangelion Kyoto Base!! We tried the entry plug and got individual scores. All of us cannot drive an Eva :p
Yu was the most compatible but still only 39%
While Sito and Kai were in the haunted house, Yang and Yu had fun outside
Kai joined them when done with the haunted house
Eh, Yang should ferry Papa!
Finally we went for the Ninja Fort. The kids went for the physical course while Sito and I went for the mental course. When we came out, we found only Kai and Yu. Yang was still inside. Kai said he must be crying. Sent Kai and Yu in to find. Turned out that Yang had finished very quickly and went to do the mental course. Then Kai and Yu did the mental course as well.
Walked through some exhibits like Power Rangers
And then it was about time to go. But not before ice cream and omiyage!
Saw a yokai as we were leaving the souvenir shop :p
Not scary at all!
There was a slight drizzle as we left. We were lucky that that was the only rain we had the whole trip :)
The Randen was full of people from Arashiyama so it was quite a squeeze to get on. There were so many people that we all paid at the exiting station instead of on the train. Then it was a long ride back to Umeda. It was Hankyu, I think, different from our way there, and much cheaper.
The boys slept
The Kura Sushi queue was too long so we went to
Bikkuri Donkey for dinner. The kids all had spag bog and loved it! In fact, Yang liked it so much that he told the staff at the cashier: Your food is good!
They gave us one instead of three spaghetti so we waited...
We watched a Japanese drama - La Grande Maison Tokyo - just before our trip and Mont Blanc was a featured dessert. I like this since I was a kid, thanks to the aunt of the kid Mother took care of, who worked in a bakery and gave us yummy stuff.
So we had a Mont Blanc dessert!
Random Xmas decor on the way back to the apartment
Our beacon was the bright yellow Naruto luggage tag on Sito's bag :)
This being their first winter, the kids' lips were quite dry. This evening, they finally agreed to lip balm. Forced it on them!!!!
Saturday, 7 Dec
Naruto!
I didn't sleep well. Woke every hour from 1am to cough :( Kai also woke a few times to drink water - I think I disturbed him :( In the end, I got up before my alarm went off to prepare for the day - we have an early bus to catch!
We bought tickets and checked out the bus stop on Thursday so it was easy to find it again in the Osaka-Umeda labyrinth. But we still arrived early coz we couldn't miss this bus!
Let the kids have some croissants we bought the night before. There was a Family Mart right at the bus stop so we bought more food and drinks.
It's a Naruto bus!
The bus took some 90min. We walked up from the carpark area and saw a little tram-bus ahead. Turned out that was the free shuttle to the various attractions on the island.
Finally, we're here!
The kids have been watching anime for a while - Naruto, Dragonball, One Piece. So we built this trip around the theme of ninjas and samurais.
Naruto theme park? Must go!
It's on Awaji Island, along with various other attractions. We had bought tickets with two missions online. The first mission was a maze in a fort, like the one at Toei but bigger. The mission was to save Naruto.
But how come it's the grown-up, not the kid??
The maze was very fun, going around to find the various characters and get a stamp, and open doors with ninja jutsu handsigns. Sito and I went in the correct order. But it was scary at one point when we saw that we got to climb down a storey. Was wondering whether we should wait there for the kids but turned out that the kids had already gone through that part *.*
So high!
This was taken when Sito accompanied Yu to find his missed stamps
Took the slide to the exit - fast way out!
The whole thing took longer than expected as the kids went anyhow and Yu missed out some stamps. By then, we were ready for...
Ramen Ichiraku!
Naruto leh, must eat this ramen :)
The next mission was easier - just walk, no need to climb or stoop. Along the way were some AR installations. I thought quite nice but the kids much preferred the first mission.
See Yu's hands making a jutsu?
Nine-tailed fox!
Lightning boy doing 雷遁
Fire boy doing 火遁
Giant Sito or mini torii? :p
Had a little おみくじ at the end before we went to the souvenir shop. Kai and Yu got nano lego figurines while Yang got a Naruto headband. The headband was crazy expensive but we were on holiday!
My Naruto vs. the real Naruto
There was no time for us to go to other attractions on the island. We must catch the last bus at 4.43pm! Instead of waiting for the shuttle, we walked down. And it was a very nice walk.
Beautiful colours!
There's a cafe and souvenir shop, Rainbow Oasis. We had ice cream and coffee/tea while we rested and waited for the bus.
Why when it's so cold??
There was an interesting onion soup on tap. We also tried raw onions with sauce. Both were very yummy! Guess Awaji Island is known for its onions??
Must queue for the onion tap
"Which sauce should I add..."
The bus took two hours to reach Osaka-Umeda, thanks to the traffic near the city. We went back to our neighbourhood for dinner. This neighbourhood happens to have some really nice places.
Okonomiyaki and yakisoba!
I really like this photo of my laogong :)
It was like an izakaya where everyone had to order a drink. Kids were happy :) At the end, Yang told the chef "yakisoba umai!"
Sunday, 8 dec
Namba walk
Washed clothes in the morning. I washed clothes more than I washed my hair on this trip! To be honest, I hadn't washed in Japan up to this point. Yup, my last wash was night of 3 Dec!
The hairdryer was really lousy. Even the boys couldn't feel much air from it. My hair needs strong air to dry... Luckily in this weather, my scalp didn't feel oil, though I think there must be a layer of dead skin accumulating...
We had a stand-up breakfast at the 7-11 nearby. Their latte was better than the Family Mart one.
Sito tried their smoothie machine
Today, the plan was to hang out at the Namba area. We first headed to 八坂神社 Yasaka Jinja where the kids purified themselves and made a wish. We also bought amulets for them as this was supposed to be a place good for students.
At the temple
Cleansing...
Making a wish
We tried to queue for omurice at supposedly the birthplace of omurice but the queue was an hour long. So we walked around and found Shitenno Ramen with no queue. But when we came out, a queue had formed! Coz "no ramen, no life", says the staff tee.
Split table - Kai and Yang were elsewhere
The Donki ferris wheel - later, we would go...
From another spot
We went to Round 1 after lunch. The arcade was cheap and fun! It cost only ¥100 per game for most games and each game was quite long. The boys had so much fun.
Sito steady, driving with one hand!
I was super sore, probably from the Naruto maze... Also having less phlegm today. Hope recovering...
Next was snack time! Yu was looking forward to the takoyaki but he decided he prefers the SG version which was not so soft. Yang had almost one ball; he had not had the SG version but now he wanted to try - next time*! Kai took a bite and no more *.* Also had a melon pan with vanilla ice cream - so good...
* We have tried last week at Sushiro and he said it was just like Japan...
Queueing for takoyaki
We went up the Donki ferris wheel. It was interesting due to the oblong shape and the turning mechanism. But all the kids preferred HEP Five.
Before we turned to face outside
Kai made the staff laugh out loud!
And since we were at Donki, must buy something right? Ended up for over ¥10,000 worth of beauty products for me! And tax free! Very convenient.
After our failed attempt to get a seat at Kura Sushi in Umeda area on Friday, Sito made a reservation for the outlet at Namba. But in the end, we were early enough to not require a reservation.
This sushi chain is very fun. Besides the usual conveyor belt and even the ordered food belt, there is a gacha machine at every table. When you return the plates into a hole by the side of the table, you get a gacha chance for every three or five plates - don't remember! We paid a little extra for guaranteed gacha, though we misunderstood how it worked but the staff explained to us when we asked. Guess many were like us.
Very, very full...
They had nine plus a bowl of udon, seven and six plates from left to right. The tamago in front of Yang ended up in Kai’s belly. Sito and I had 11 plates in total...
Getting a gacha!
One more shot at the bridge before we left
Went to a Family Mart at Namba for water as we ran out. Also grabbed some breakfast food. Then on the way to the subway, we bought lovely daifuku and a powder refill (yup, mine).
We left the kids to poop and shower in the apartment while we walked to 7-11 for dessert and more breakfast and water etc - long time no evening date! Haha! Even though it was only a short walk :)
Sito enjoying an ice cream on the way back to the apartment
That wasn't all. We also had cup noodles :p
Monday, 9 dec
Onsen!
We had breakfast in the apartment. We bought ticket to Arima Onsen online and didn't have time to check out the bus stop. But it was at 10.50am so we had plenty of time.
The ride was quite fast. Arrived just nice for lunch. The plan was curry udon at Misono but it was very small so we went to a bigger place where the boys had katsu curry rice.
Why is it so yummy??!
We walked the streets a little and picked up some grilled dango and sweet potato balls for snacks :p
Then we went for a foot bath!
It was so good.... But there was a little drama - an old lady at the foot bath suddenly stood up and coughed. She even patted Sito to get him to slap her back but a lady went up to give her an abdominal thrust. Turned out she choked on some food.
The boys didn't want to go into the foot bath so they just sat on the bench behind. Talk talk talk...
Next was nama tansan senbei, with a shelf live of five seconds. It was just the local tansan senbei but freshly made so we had five seconds to eat it while it was chewy. After that, it became normal crunchy senbei. But it was not the salty senbei, more like our colourful waffles.
Following my beacon
We went to another senbei shop to look see. Kids got to try the senbei and liked it so we bought some. Couple of weeks back, the last two senbei lao hong and became nama again, haha!
Finally, it was check-in time and we walked uphill to the hotel. Waited at the lobby a bit before a staff brought us to our room. It was an old hotel but very spacious!
We didn't take long to change and head for the onsen. Yu was too big to follow me so Sito took all three. I had me time! Haha!
In our Yukata
The onsen feels so good... And I finally washed my hair! The dryer at the onsen was marginally better...
But I was fretting a bit coz I was worried about the boys - would they run about? Slippery! Dangerous! Would they not like it and leave earlier? Then very sian.. So I came back to the room earlier than the agreed time to find... no one there :)
They took quite a while to return. Comments: Kai - bad (coz too hot); Yang - good; Yu - hot! And they got over the whole nakedness thing, quite cute. They behaved generally ok... But Yu wadded across loudly coz he forgot his towel on the other edge and other people just stared at him, haha!
Put on jackets over yukata to go outdoors
Left kids in room while we had beer
At the bridge linking lobby and rooms
The boys decided to wear regular clothes instead of yukata for dinner, which was Kobe beef teppanyaki set plus buffet!
Kai was considered an adult so he had the same teppanyaki and salmon as us, Yang's set had only the teppanyaki, and Yu had only the buffet. This was more kid friendly than kaiseki which would have things they don't eat. The buffet had a lot of fried food, haha! They were happy :)
Cooking for himself
The futon was in position by the time we got back. Also a first for the kids. Sito decided to try the outdoor bath by the river. I couldn't stand going outdoors so I stayed in. He took some time to get back as he also went to the indoor bath to wash up.
Looks comfy
This boy's face was all red after the onsen and dinner - my red apple :)
Last time when I visited Japan, I used to watch TV at night. The AirBnB apartment had a TV but in a weird position in Yang and Yu's room so we didn't watch at all. Here at the onsen hotel, we watched a bit but ok la, nothing very interesting.
Tuesday, 10 Dec
Snow!
Coughed like mad twice at night. Kena complained by Kai again...
During dinner the night before, the staff asked us for our preferred breakfast time. So we planned to wake early to go for the onsen before breakfast.
Sito and I woke at 6-ish. Yang happened to be up early too. Gave him instructions on washing up before visiting the onsen in the other building.
The hotel we were in was the older, ryokan style hotel while the other building was a newer, western style hotel. Arima onsen water is either kin or gin. I went into the indoor gin bath, before trying the partially outdoor kin bath and back indoor again coz it was hotter. Sito said the male bath in the ryokan side also had a partially outdoor bath.
Breakfast was back at the same table. The table carried sign with the name of our room:
No, it's not pronounced Gekkoen which is the name of the hotel
Breakfast was also kid friendly. I was just very happy with the onsen egg :)
Nice scenery at breakfast
Checking out the koi in the hotel
Taken by Yang
Way to the onsen by the river but it was closed for cleaning
Don't know why but must take picture with tanuki at onsen!
We paid a bathing tax of ¥150 each at check-out, and continued upslope, not heading back the way we came from as we were leaving Arima by ropeway!
But first, we did some fishing. Kai went first but no fish was catching. Sito tried and proved that it was possible before handing the rod back to the kids. Eventually, all caught a fish :) Sito also taught Kai a lesson on patience and getting what he deserves - I was taking pictures and didn't listen carefully :p
Putting on the bait
First position - couldn't reach the fish
Better spot as tested by Sito
Touching the fish - fun meh?
Surprised that all three liked the fried fish and finished the whole thing, bones and all! An elderly worker told us while we were fishing, that this rainbow trout was very yummy and could be eaten whole. Yang wanted to tell the uncle he was right but he was nowhere to be seen when we were done. I told him he could come back when he grew up and guess his response? By then the uncle would have died already!!!
Um, ok... Let's go then...
Yang and his fish
After more uphill walk, we found the ropeway, aka cable car. The ropeway was another steep uphill climb for 12min plus, bringing us to Rokkosan!
We tried to walk to the snow park but couldn't get our bearings right. Sito heard the ropeway announcement about a bus so we walked back to take the bus.
The snow park reception was very helpful to tell us what to buy from the ticketing machine. For snow play, we only needed to rent boots, gloves and sledges. So shocked to see it cost over $200! But ended up almost half was deposit for the rental.
The kids had so much fun! But I think the sledge was tiring, or the lugging of the sledge up the hill was tiring. Coz they played a few rounds and decided to play snow.
Sito made a snowman using a snowman mould!
They were just making big snowballs but no throwing ok...
There was a takeout kiosk near the snow play area so we got some yakisoba, buns etc for lunch. It was damn cold. But later, the kids rode the sledge until they were sweaty!
Sito and I rode the sledge too while they were compacting snow. Then we got them to go play the sledge again before we left.
After multiple successful slides down the slope
We lost Kai's scarf as we were leaving. Should have asked him to stuff it into his pocket instead of hanging on my arm. So no scarf for Kai for the rest of the journey... But the rest of our journey wouldn't be so cold...
Took the same bus but to Sanjo station just in time for the cable, aka tram, downhill, where we caught a local bus to the nearest JR station.
Our only JR ride this trip
Back in Osaka, we found an outlet of the omurice that we didn't manage to have on Sunday.
Chubby cheeks waiting for his dinner
It didn't look like a lot but gosh, so full!
Went to a Uniqlo outlet but it was carrying winter gear so didn't buy anything. Also went to a KFC coz must try in Japan, haha! But I was busy on AirBnB and then Klook, settling late checkout and airport transfer so I didn't take pictures! :(
Random Xmas decor while walking to subway
With only two days to our flight home and finally no need to keep washing clothes, I packed a bit. Coz it's a long day the next day...
Wednesday, 11 Dec
Universal Studios Japan!
Aka my longest day of the trip...
Yang woke at 130-ish with a tummy ache. Sighs, he didn't poop for many days so this was not unexpected. I thought of going to a konbini to get an enema but decided I should stay with him. So I woke Sito to go find. He went to a few konbini and even tried a hospital nearby but nope. In the end, the pain subsided and Yang went back to bed after I gave him a tummy massage.
That's one more item in my packing list in future!
I continued to cough at night and woke earlier than planned so I didn't sleep much. But that gave me more time to prepare for the start of the day.
We went out later than the planned 6.30 am but ok, we still reached 7.30-ish. The queue to go in was very smooth! At first, I was afraid they would reject Kai's child ticket which we bought on Klook as we saw something about 12yo in elementary school being considered a child. The ticket could not be exchanged. We thought at most we could buy an adult ticket on the spot. But the JR staff gave him child ICOCA right? Anyway, it was all smooth, thankfully... And the staff was all smiles!
Our first stop - Hogwarts.
Omgosh, it was so magical I cried!!
It was one thing reading the books and imagining how it was like; it was another thing watching the movies and wow-ing at how they brought it all to life; it was yet another thing to BE in Harry Potter world!
We first went for the Hippogriff ride - early, hardly a queue. It was a roller coaster and Yu said his penis was falling out, haha! But he took it very well. Think Legoland should be ok now...
At Ollivander's
Ollivander's! Yes, we bought a wand so that we could perform magic at various spots. But it was not easy.
Aguamenti!
We took a lot of videos of us doing the spells but I'm too lazy to post videos :p
I want to go!!!!
Sito stopped the rogue car haha!
Next was Jaws for which we had an express pass. It was so fun! I thought the guide was amazing - he drove and acted too! But Kai said the boat should be auto. Later, Sito said the same. Bah *.*
Queued to take picture with THE shark
Then we went for our minions ride. It was so cute but it made me pukish. I thought I needed some food so we got some churros - we were first in line as it just opened and never had the chance at a food kiosk again coz the lines were sooooo long!
My minions
Just opened, yeah!
Time to go back to Hogwarts for our timed ride. I sat with Yu in case he was scared but nope, he wasn't scared... I found it exhilarating to be flying on a broom! As if, haha! But wa I wanted to puke... Yet, how could I not have a butter beer after exiting the ride??
Our only family shot that isn't a wefie
Ok, too sweet. This must be
rated DDD. I prefer the hot one to the cold one which was fizzy. Got a 10th anniversary cup coz, why not? I was even thinking of those big fluffy Mario hats for the kids but they didn't ask for them and those hats were impossible to wash and too big to bring home anyway, so I kept quiet. Else, really, why not?? :)
Queue at the Three Broomsticks was too long so posed outside
Not our first choice but really, all the popular spots had long queues, even the kiosks. We had to wait a bit for a table at Jaws too.
Kai had been wanting a thrill ride for a while so we went to Hollywood Dream next. Didn't get express pass for this as we were not sure if Yu would be up to it, given how he didn't want to take roller coasters in Legoland. But the queue was manageable - only an hour? - and we saved time from other rides already.
But I almost puked while in the queue and wanted to step out at some point. But suddenly, I felt a bit better and decided, what the heck!
The staff checked us at least twice to make sure we had no loose items on us. Yu had his height measured. Then, I went up with Kai and Yang, while Sito went with Yu. A single rider auntie sat next to me as each car took four.
This auntie was amazing ok. She was telling me how to choose the music for the ride. Best, she was happily clapping and swinging her legs as the ride went off! I was so nervous... Then at the end, when I asked her how many times she had been on this ride, she said close to 4,000 - yes, no typo, and my Japanese isn't the best but I can certainly understand numbers, 4,000! I totally believed her when I saw her hop off quickly, grab her bag and dash off, probably for the next ride.
Anyway, step aside, Legoland, Hollywood Dream is the real roller coaster! All I could do was close my eyes, grip tight and scream! I turned to check on Kai and Yang - they seemed fine and Kai who was next to me looked super happy! So I minded my own fear and continued with screaming at the next drop *.*
Sito said Yu was very brave. On the other hand, he was fearful for Yu as the momentum made Yu's little legs swing up during the ride! But it's true that he was very brave - I didn't mention anything or ask Yu if he wanted the ride, and he didn't say no at all knowing we were queueing for a roller coaster. He came out looking perfectly fine!
But later when his brothers went for another roller coaster, he said no coz (1) he didn't want to queue, and (2) he didn't want to not feel his body like in Hollywood Dream, haha!! Btw, he numbered his reasons himself, not me :p
We were still early enough for our timed Mario Kart ride on our express pass. Unlike Hogwarts which didn't implement the gated entry, Nintendo was all gated.
First, we bought watches for the kids to wear and get points from mini games and all the ? boxes around the area. Expensive but why not? :)
Here we go!
The Kart was quite fun and as we passed by the long queue, we found the express pass super worth it, haha! But Kai didn't score well and came out in a foul mood. It sort of went downhill from there as he then didn't get as many points as his brothers *.*
Anyway, they eventually accumulated enough points to fight the boss :p
Almost getting to the Kart
One of the mini games to get points
The game that Kai missed playing with his brothers due to bad mood
Eventually the brothers played again to help him pass it coz as a single player, he kept getting grouped with very small kids who couldn't play!
We also checked out the new Donkey Kong area which just opened, as in on the very day we were there! Sito thought it took some heat off the other places for a while. Anyway, we didn't queue for the ride. Just walked a bit and had a soba bun.
Then Kai and Yang went to the Flying Dinosaur ride on their own, as single riders. Sito and I brought Yu to the Discovery Restaurant for some food and to wait for the brothers.
Yang came back first. It was dark by then. I found the ride scary enough in the day, much less in the dark!!!
He said three teen boys spoke to him - probably coz each car takes four. He went, "I speak English!" So the boys spoke English and asked him for his age. When he said 10, they were impressed! Haha! Yang added that they screamed and he didn't. At the end, they said bye bye. So cute. Kai came back soon after. He said he didn't like this as much as Hollywood Dream.
Must take a photo of their ride!
By then, we were ready to go - so tired - but must fulfil Yu's wish to go to the kiddy area. He always thinks he's small :) We queued a bit for the merry-go-round. Sito and I sat on a carriage - we call it the parents' seats, haha!
Then we swung by Hogwarts for the lights - it was so beautiful! And the music! 😭
Bye Hogwarts!
Outside Hollywood Dream on our way out
Tax refund took only a short while and then we were out. So tired by then so we just had Macs right outside. The burgers were interesting and they had this bright green melon soda that Kai asked for when we came back to SG...
Anyway, while eating, we found a pharmacy nearby on Google Maps so Sito went to get enema while the boys finished their dinner.
The train back was very crowded. We had to squeeze. It was a relief to be away from the USJ line and be on our way back to the apartment. Sito went to the konbini while I stayed with the kids. After settling down, we had instant noodles and a parfait while Yu had a cold cocoa.
Last night already!
Thursday, 12 dec
Home, sweet home!
The plan was to wake naturally. I did - at 4.30 am. Tmd. I was coughing badly. To avoid waking them, I went to the sofa to try to sleep sitting up. I don’t know if I slept at all.
When it was daylight, I did my 12/12 shopping on Shopee :p And then it was time to prepare for the day. Packed as much as possible before we left the apartment.
Breakfast was at 7-11 again.
Oh, somewhere between me booking the airport transfer and today, we discovered that we got the flight time wrong..! It was an hour earlier than expected. Our airport transfer would be in time but it gave left us little time to go to a JR counter at the airport to refund our ICOCA cards.
So we went to Namba - our intended final destination in Osaka anyway - to do the refund, and it was a good choice coz later Sito read that the Kansai one was always very crowded!
Just before they beeped out with their card for the last time
What did we do in Namba?
Spent some time in Daiso - auntie bought some plastic bags, haha! So much cheaper. I had no more space else I would like to get other staples for half the price. Sito got a lot of cup noodles - we had a few already, yummy!
Passed by the Spidey; kids didn't want to pose so Papa did!
Next was Honsen Temple. Interestingly, inside one wall was a conveyor belt sushi restaurant *.*
Yang did the whole praying thing :)
Yu followed Yang for this; Kai didn't want to
Lunch was kushikatsu - fried skewers - just opposite the temple. So of course we must order the temple set!
Sito ordered the cabbage and sauce set to demo how not to double dip
No double dipping!!! Grrrr...
There was a huge version of this statue on the building opposite the Donki ferris wheel. We call it angry uncle :p
Final stop was Gigo where they played a quick game before we must go back to the apartment. Sito went to the 7-11 to get the snack that Yang wanted in the morning, while I packed the last bits, leaving the boys literally to their own devices.
¥200 per game coz it's a newer version or something
With all our cup noodles (haha!) and other souvenirs, we had to use the cabin suitcase too. We brought it with us in the cabin as it carried our jackets. But for the way back, we would wear our jackets. Anyway, I also brought a foldable bag which I used to put our jackets after we got into departures.
All packed, I wondered if the driver was early so I texted him we were ready. He was already there! Nice, more time at the airport!
Checked out of AirBnB with all our rubbish. Host said we left the apartment very clean, yeah! But we forgot Yu's bear bear! :( Didn't realise until Yu asked about it when we got back. He burst into tears when I said oh no! Poor boy.. Told him I would check the suitcase the next day when I unpacked though I already knew we wouldn't find it there, sighs.
Sito brought the boys to Ikea on Saturday to get a replacement as the two at home carry Kai and Yang's names; I was ill.
Anyway, the kids fell asleep during the ride to the airport. We couldn't print Yu's boarding pass so went to the staff who also put our suitcase next to her instead of getting us to put on the belt. We left a bit bewildered but no problem, we got it in SG :p
551 Horai - must queue at every outlet
Poor Sito has less than two siew mai - Yu had four, and he let me have a bite. Yang and I had a bun each. Kai declined...
Yang liked the meat bun
Yu liked the siew mai
At immigration, a staff saw us and said "baby" and pointed us to a shorter queue. Yu still a baby!
Once inside, we let the kids have a go at the vending machines. No time to do so earlier. And in Japan, how could we leave without buying something from a vending machine??
A drink each plus some snacks
Also bought some typical Japanese confectionery to bring home. Actually we bought very little compared to when we were younger...
Monkeying around while waiting to board
Dinner - this time, no help needed from me
The wait for boarding was quite long but the flight caught up in the end. Waited a while for the second suitcase. It was Yang who went to the source and took it once it came out. So helpful :)
Tired so squatting to wait for suitcases
Grab - didn't bother with GrabFamily this time, just a bigger car - sent us home. And then...
We were home!
Aftermath
It was a mad rush to check that the towels and bedsheets are usable (no mould etc) while the kids showered. Ushered them to bed while I continued to do light cleaning of the living room area so that the kids would have a clean spot to rest the next day while major cleaning took place...
First thing - no extra mould visible and no lizards came in apparently :) With the house as clean as could be, I set down to unpack the suitcases and do laundry. Think it took me some three days to finish the laundry as there was still regular laundry to be done and the winter jackets couldn't all go in one wash.
We were glad we customised this trip, totally kid-centric, no mountain, no sea, no museum, no "boring" things by kiddy standards. And there was hardly any rush as we packed just one major activity each day. And we spaced out long travelling as much as possible to save the parents' ageing bodies and sanity :p
There were some things which were not planned as such but which worked out nicely in the end - like the wagyu BBQ was changed away from just before onsen (can't remember why!) so we spaced out buffets, and USJ which happened to be on the second last day else we would be too knackered to continue the trip!
When we finally sat down with the kids to hear from them:
- Kai's fave parts were the roller coaster rides at USJ, the nut packs on the flights (nuts, really?) and the food on the trip. His ranking of the food were Ramen Ichiraku, ramen elsewhere, and the dinner at the onsen.
- Yang gave a response - good and bad - which I thought was measured until he said that good was everything and bad was the cold :p His fave parts were USJ, then the snow park and then onsen. His fave ride at USJ was Mario Kart, followed by Flying Dino then Hollywood Dream. His fave meals were the onsen dinner, Ramen Ichiraku and Bikkuri Donkey.
- Yu said this trip was better than Legoland coz got onsen… Then, "USJ, onsen especially the food, ninja house (probably the Naruto one)". His fave meals were the onsen dinner, Ramen Ichiraku and the katsu curry rice at Arima town.
If I'm free, I'll put up the itinerary and details on my travel page. If I'm free...
