Rica's Diary

Monday, July 02, 2018

Fun Week in Thailand

A week after our Japan trip.. we packed our bags again & went for another fun-filled 8 days vacation in Bangkok Thailand. It's my second time there (and Jan's 5th time) so we didn't plot any itinerary beside that we only want to indulge to eating delicious Thai cuisines to our heart's content

. Visiting Jan's aunt.. Tita Am and her little family in Bangkok, is always my favorite vacation because we can just BE. No OOTD ( I sometimes went out in the mall with my Pajama)

.No Itinerary or rushing to go to one tourist spot to another.. our only agenda was to spend as much quality time & have fun all together as possible. For 8 days, we just spent one night in Pattaya for a staycation & visited some temples on the way home, went to Madame Tussauds on our last day & that's it. The remaining days we just cooked at home, shared our endless stories, laughed together till midnight & if we get a little bored we would go to the mall to eat & shop. Beside, we didnt feel that we're far from home because Thailand is really like just the Philippines. Same weather, Thai looks just like us (except for the language barrier) & some Thai dishes are similar to our cuisine.

Also, we came just in time for a long holiday in Thailand in celebration of Songkran (Thai's new year's festival). It's so fun to experience Thai's new year rituals for the first time such as pouring scented water to Buddha, wearing colorful & flowery shirts (thai's new yr outfit) & all the water gun fights & splashing that reminded me of San Juan Festival. Water splashing symbolizes washing off the misfortune of the past, thus, welcoming the new year with a fresh start.

One day..Tita Am set up their veranda with water balloons.. we poked the ballons & splashed water to each other . After many years of embracing adulthood I felt like a kid again.

It made me realize that in life.. it's the simple things that give us the biggest joy.. it might sound cliche but it's true. Enjoying life isnt as complicated as it seems if we only appreciate the little things we have. Okay, Im being a philosopher again . Hehehe~

. Here are some random pics in our Thailand trip last April.. Thank you Rosales family for always welcoming us warmly everytime we visit . See you again soon!

My happy face because it's my first time to fly on a businessclass with Philippine Airlines on the way to Bangkok! Yey! I have always been wanting to fly on a businessclass & I'm so happy that another item ticked off in my bucket list!

Appetizer served was Scallops & Salmon in Mustard-Dill Dressing. They also immediately served us with nuts, welcome drink, Champagne & breads.

For Main Course.. I chose Beef in Apricot Red Vinegar Sauce with mashed potato

And finally for dessert.. I chose Carmen's best icecream in Salted Caramel. Super rich & creamy!

I definitely had a restful sleep because of the comfy & spacious reclinable seat! And for K-pop fans out there like I do.. PAL has a BTS playlist in their inflight entertainment :)

The next day, we went to Pattaya & visited some few temples along the way.. I'm wearing a short so i need to cover my legs with sarong.

With Rosales Family

Staycation at the Citrus Hotel in Pattaya. We're amazed how affordable hotel accommodations are in Thailand..

Pattaya Beach

Night life in Pattaya..

Not suitable for young audiences! :P I was a little culture-shocked seeing so many clubs (and lady-boy) in the night market ..

Golden Buddha Image carved into the mountain.. Hence, its name..

Songkran Celebration

Almost all establisments have budhha images in the entrance where you can pour scented water to the images & say your prayer..

Songran Outfit.. Colorful & flowery dresses..

Pineapple with salt, sugar, some shrimps & red pepper powder

My favorite Thai dish.. Bagoong Rice!

One of authentic Thai's desserts.. Sticky Rice with Mango sprinkled with rice cripy..

We're Songkran Ready!

Yieeeee..

Sweet couple

Arroz Caldo in Mcdo? Yes, they have it here in Thailand!

Random Pics at Madame Tussauds..

Going Home.. Cant believe 8 days went by so quickly!

While waiting for boarding.. I'm reading Meghan's letter (Jan's 7 year old cousin) to us. She is really such a sweetheart!

Back to the fun part! (before I end this post)-- Flying businessclass again on my return flight to Manila.. Yey! This was a very rare moment so I need to document this in my blog. LOL. How I really wish I could always afford to fly on a busineclass .. Thank you PAL for our awesome travel benefit & for making my dream come true!

Welcome drink before Take-off

Appetizer was Thai Minced Chicken Salad

While Main course served to us was Seabass in Tomato Concasse..

I'm so full my tummy has no space for dessert! Hehe.

So that's about my blog for our Thailand trip. Kob Khun Kha Thailand for another wonderful experience!

Till next time!

Always,

Rica ♡

Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Part 4- Tokyo Series: A day in Nikko

In our last day in Tokyo, we decided to go on a day trip in Nikko.. a quiet City North of Tokyo famous for Togoshu, Japan's lavisly decorated shrine built in 1617 in honour of the late founder of Tokugawa shogunate or Edo Period, Tokugawa Leyasu. The travel time to get to Nikko is about 2 hours train ride from Shinjuku Station.

I honestly came here with little expectation because when I googled about Nikko prior to our trip, I thought that it's just another place to see lavish shrines with some few greeneries around. If not only for Ate Ann who convinced us to go here I would probably just stay in the City. But Nikko has so much more to offer.. It's fascinating more than I can put into words that this day trip became instantly the highlight of our 8 days adventure in Tokyo. Yes, I surprisingly enjoyed it more than our trip in Mt. Fuji.

Due to time restriction, we're only able to explore Nikko for 3 hours. But despite staying for such a short time.. our trip to Nikko was very fulfilling & definitely worth the long travel. Not only did we get to see traditional Japanese architectures but also enjoyed the unique beauty of nature. Too beautiful that I almost shed a tear as I look at the peaceful & gorgeous view in front of me with its breathtaking landscapes, serene lakes, picturesque waterfalls & mountainous forest. And I tell you, pictures just simply dont give justice to its real beauty. Every little time we spent here were postcard moments.

Welcome to Nikko!

Because we're on top of the mountain.. there were still scattered snow everywhere.

Mt. Nantai

The brothers goofing around.

And then we took the elevator down to see the viewing observatory of Kegon Falls.. It costs 500 yen but it's totally worth it!

The amazingly beautiful Kegon Falls.. I could've stood there for hours!

The tranquil Lake Chuzenji

The famous & sacred Shinkyo Bridge .. Nikko's famous landmark.

The Shinkyo bridge is also ranked as one of Japan's three finest bridge. Fun Fact: Only the Royal Family can cross this bridge that is why it's always photographed with completely no tourist around. Should you wish to be photographed in the bridge, you need to pay for a certain amount [but that wont allow you to cross the bridge anyway].

The quiet City of Nikko at night. There were barely no tourists around except from us..

We would definitely be back.. hopefully in the winter time when the whole City is covered with snow & maybe spend a couple of nights there because I tell you.. a day isn't enough to explore Nikko. I've read from the guide map that It has natural hot spring, snow ski, hiking trails, shrines (sadly we didnt get to see it's famous shrine) & many more..and the best part? It's just easily accessible from Tokyo. I cant wait till winter!

Domou Arigatou Japan for another memorable trip! Ja mata ne!

Always,