Bakit Korea?! Bakit?!

Korea is going to be our next destination. And honestly, I was not that interested. Especially after having been told quite a lot of times that Korea might be underwhelming for someone who has already visited Japan.

Despite that, I have found myself binge-watching Korea travel vlogs of unknown vloggers. And it has surprisingly gotten me excited to fly there for three reasons: alpacas, raccoons, and meerkats. Okay, that is not nearly close to the things that come to mind when we speak of Korea. But whatever's on that list certainly made me excited to see the Land of the Morning Calm and that could only mean one thing.

Having something to be excited about guarantees a full blown anxiety on our visa application. And it does not end there. The Korean Embassy extended their processing time to 25-30 working days. That's 30 freakin days of enduring the agony of waiting.

BUT WAIT! THAT IS NOT EVEN THE WORST PART YET.

Makakapunta Ako sa Europa Dahil Dito

I am getting addicted to boots.

I find this funny, ridiculous, and stupid because I am living in a hot, humid, tropical country where boots are an abomination. And I got 3 pairs!

But before you raise an eyebrow on me for having 3 freakin' pairs that is more useless than a white crayon, let me tell you how it started.

I bought my first pair because I needed one for a Farm-themed party.

I got these ankle boots on sale for P899 (from P1,899). To save this from becoming a single-wear item like how most boots tend to be, I used this in my travels to Taiwan and Japan. It is not as comfy as any of my sneakers (duh), but it does not hurt my feet and that is important. It does well in long walks. The only thing that makes me want to take it off is the annoying tapping sound it makes everytime I walk.

A Day in Nara

Oh Deer!

If there's one thing I love about Japan, it is the people. They are the kindest, most disciplined, and most respectful people I have ever met. And quite surprisingly, the deer in Nara are just as polite as the locals. As a matter of fact, these critters are far more polite than half the people you meet.

Kidding? Perhaps not.

The deer poses better than I do.

Unplugging at Tengoku Japanese House

Davao City — Ever thought of trading the hustle and bustle city life for a day or two of unplugging without having to go too far? There’s no bad time for a relaxing escape to the Tengoku Japanese House. Situated not too far away from Eden Nature Park, this charming two-bedroom Japanese-inspired house calls for guests to unplug, reconnect with nature, and rediscover peace and quiet.

The main house.

Japan's Sakura Season

Robots. Sushi. Anime. Sakura. These are the first things that come to mind when I think of Japan.

When we booked our flight to Japan, it just happened that we took advantage of a seat sale, chanced upon a very cheap flight to Narita, and booked it right away. Plus, the timing couldn't be any more perfect for Jan’s birthday. It never occurred to us that it's going to be the most anticipated and most visited sakura season.

I got so excited when I learned about it and started reading about these famed cherry blossoms only to end up a little disappointed about the fact that these pink delicate flowers bloom for just a week. Early April is the best time to see the sakuras this year according to blooming predictions. And since we will be arriving two weeks earlier, the chances of seeing these in full bloom are slim.

On our first day, we have already seen a few budding sakuras on some streets. Even Hachiko's statue stood under the sakura trees. It wasn't that impressive, yet. But it's promising and we were hoping to see them bloom in a riot of pink hues.

So we visited two parks, Chidorigafuchi (ten-minute walk from our hotel) and Yoyogi Park, which are best known for hanami (flower viewing). Even though each park offers a charming scenery of spring, not one sakura tree has a single flower on sight yet.

We then proceeded to Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, home of at least a thousand sakura trees.

Snaps from Tokyo: Three Worlds In One Day

Tokyo is currently my favorite city (next to Davao, of course). I'm not really huge on highly-urbanized cities. Skyscrapers and cityscapes don't fascinate me. But Tokyo offers more than the high tech toilets, electronics, Anime, and manga. It's where you get the best of modern and historical worlds at the same time.

But before anything else, let me share with you my OOTD. It is important that you do your research about the weather before traveling to make sure that your activities, itinerary, and especially your outfits match the forecast.

Here's a glimpse of my outfit for that day. An ukay-ukay coat for only P40 helped me enjoy a rather chilly day. Yes, 7°C is perfect for a stroll if you have the right clothes on.