Japan 2013: Celebrating 12 years of happiness...

Hooray for today!

...at Universal Studios Japan that is as they celebrate their 12th anniversary. Despite our comfy beds, we were still able to wake up early. By 7:00 AM, Nee-chan was already at the hotel's USJ counter in the lobby inquiring about ticket prices. She came back and told us they had an additional charge (which I thought was weird because they're one of the official hotels of USJ) so we decided to just purchase tickets at the gates. Since the park's ticket counters open at 8:00 AM (instead of 7:00 AM), we decided to grab some breakfast at - you guessed it - McDonald's! I ordered in English while the cashier replied in Japanese but it was all good. They managed to get our orders right except some meals weren't upgraded to sets. :(

Buying tickets

After breakfast, Nee-chan and Karly rushed back to the hotel to put on more layers (because it's so freakin' cold!) and to deal with some business. *ehem* Daddy and I decided to just wait at the park for them when we saw a line already forming at the entrance! Ibang level talaga 'tong mga Hapon. They are punctual with everything! So I just went with the flow and lined up with them. I kept on wishing Nee-chan would hurry up in case someone speaks to me. Haha

Japan 2013: ひさしぶりですね!*

I've been to a couple of beautiful places here and abroad but I must say, Japan will always be on top of my favorite places list. I've always been fascinated with the country (and its culture, of course) ever since I was a kid so I made it a point for it to be my first international trip destination back in 2009. Ever since then, I've always wanted to come back. If only I could afford to visit every year, I definitely would. Oh and if they didn't have crazy strict working ethics, I'd probably move there. It's simply my happy place.

Obligatory plane photo. Nope, we didn't agree on wearing stripes.

So this year, we finally decided to go back in celebration of Nee-chan's graduation. The dates for our trip were supposed to be the blooming peak of the sakura trees but it rained the weekend before our trip so the pink blossoms weren't as abundant as before. :( Sucks but sakura or no sakura, the visit was still worth it.

At KIX station

Our flight got a bit delayed so we left Manila around 4:00 PM and arrived in Kansai International Airport (KIX) past 9:00 PM. Our check-in time at the hotel was 10:00 PM and it's an hour away from KIX by train (which is still the fastest and cheapest way to go around Japan) so we obviously couldn't make it on time.

Look, it's a Harry Potter train!

Now Japan is famous for its crazy railway system. If it wasn't for Nee-chan, I'd totally be lost even though I can read Hiragana/Katakana. Good thing, she still knows her way around. I, on the other hand, already got a little disoriented on my first train ride back in Japan. Aside from Japan, I've been to Singapore and South Korea which also have organized public transportation systems. I've been to SG and SK twice and on each visit, I've always used one rechargeable smart card for every form of transportation. It's simply convenient and really worth your money as you get discounted fares. You just tap and go! However, Japan's railway system is so big, they have one card for each railway company. So if you'll be using multiple lines during your trip, you're better off buying one-way tickets.

Suroy-Suroy sa Sugbo*: Under the Sea

As if 2 consecutive days of being in the water weren't enough, our 3rd day started with what else but snorkeling at Moalboal! Walang kasawaan lang?? At first, we were hesitant to wake up early for today's activity because let's face it, snorkeling in the rich Philippine seas is a pretty common activity during beach getaways. But after learning that we might get a chance to see dolphins, we immediately agreed to stick to the itinerary which was to start the activity at 6:00 AM. Ang dali lang kausap e! :)) If you've tried dolphin-watching before, you'll know that the best time to do it is early morning when the sun's rays aren't as harsh and the waters are cool. Learned that from our boatman in Panglao!

I have no idea how I do it but I magically turn into an early riser during trips. I was already awake before an alarm blared off at 4:30 AM. Crazy and brutal! Erin was the first one to react so I assumed it was her alarm and I immediately reprimanded her for being too loud at an ungodly hour. I don't think she heard me though because she went right back to sleep. Ty was the second one to get up so he was obviously my next suspect. FYI, I only found out who the real culprit was when we were already on our way to the airport. Haha It's Bry btw.

Ready for more swimming!

After changing into our swimwear (for the nth time!) and a rushed breakfast, we're ready to go snorkeling! So we went to the beach and met up with our boatman (Kuya Michael) which kind of surprised me because he was all alone. Usually when we go island hopping, there would be 2-3 boatmen accompanying us but not in Moalboal, I guess. Or maybe Kuya has superpowers so he can manage everything on his own.

The cool sea breeze felt good on our sunburnt faces, I couldn't help but close my eyes from time to time. Only when Kuya spoke up (for the first time, I think?) did I come to my senses. Did someone say dolphins?? Okay, I'm alive, alert, awake, enthusiastic!

It wasn't my first time to see dolphins but nevertheless, they always amaze me. Each time is just like the first time. Wow parang kanta lang! Anyway, my idea of dolphin-watching was to watch them from a distance. But this time, not only was Kuya a good spotter, he also chased after the dolphins so we can see them closer! Sugoi naaaa~!

Kuya, follow those dolphins! Daliiiiiii~!

We were literally (at least, Mabel and I were) clapping our hands with glee and giving the dolphins a standing ovation. Kuya even had to remind us to maintain our boat's balance! Haha But then an even more amazing thing happened - the dolphins came closer until they were swimming alongside our boat! Parang movieeee!! Sure, it was awesome but I got a little worried for their safety too. I kept telling Kuya to slow down a bit or to steer clear of the dolphins but he assured us that the dolphins know what they're doing. They are naturally playful creatures which explains why they were racing with our boat. But once they get tired, they'll fall back. At least that's what Kuya said.