First time in Tokyo, Japan

This trip to Japan was so unexpected. Me, my husband, my mom, my uncle, and my auntie all ended up going together. Thereโ€™s been a lot of drama with my mom lately, and I just wanted to take her somewhere new, somewhere she could breathe for a bit. I also havenโ€™t seen my cousin in years, so I thought, why not visit her in Tokyo? Then I invited my uncle and auntie too, hoping we could all have a happy, peaceful vacation as a family.

I only had three weeks of vacation left for the year. I already used one week in Jamaica back in May and another week in Manila, so this basically gives me one week in Japan and one week in Korea before going back to reality and waiting until next year for fresh leave days.

One thing that made this trip extra memorable is that I recently found out Iโ€™m pregnant. So my husband and I decided to squeeze in one last round of travelling before we officially enter parent-mode. We originally planned just Manila and Tokyo, but since Seoul is right there, and my husband hasnโ€™t been, might as well add it to the route.

And honestly? I enjoyed the perks of being pregnant while travelling. I kept getting preferential treatment everywhere. We were always bumped to the front of the line, and almost every queue had a โ€œpriorityโ€ spot for me. I was not complaining.

We always hear people say Japan feels like a country living in 2050, so we were excited to finally see it for ourselves.

We left early in the morning and landed in Narita around 8 AM. My first impression was how quiet and calm everything felt. Not too impressed with the airport itselfโ€ฆ Iโ€™ve seen better onesโ€ฆ but immigration was a breeze. After that, the usual: picking up our pocket WiFi for the trip.

My cousin and her husband were already waiting for us, and they even rented a car so all of us could travel comfortably. It was so thoughtful, and honestly such a blessing to have family in Tokyo who speak Japanese and know their way around.

On the way to the city, my mom and auntie (the grannies, as I like to call them) saw Tokyo Disneyland along the route and immediately suggested a quick stop for photos. So there we were: two very excited senior citizens and my pregnant, exhausted self trying to keep up. Good thing my husband was always right beside me, ready to help whenever I needed it.

After that, we finally headed home and rested. We had Yakiniku for dinner, our first real Japanese meal in Japan. Such a treat. Itโ€™s the perfect nutritiom we need for a long day we will have tomorrow!

To be continuedโ€ฆ

you may also like

  • What happened in Miami last year?

    What happened in Miami last year?

    It’s that time of the month again, Halloween! This day last year I was on an adventure in Miami by myself. I was feeling nostalgic so I rummaged through my old blog and found this post about my trip. Definitely enjoyed my solitude in this one. This has been a long overdue post but Iโ€™d like to share with you some snippets of my short but sweet trip to Miami! I went there alone last Halloween, and stayed mostly in South Beach, at Freehand Miami Hotel. The beach was good but since I dunno how to swim, I wasnโ€™t able to dip in for a long time. Instead, I enjoyed the hotel amenities (it was hippy by the way and very millienial!) and ofcourse did…

  • Discovering Los Angeles: How We Spent Our Layover Exploring Iconic Spots

    Discovering Los Angeles: How We Spent Our Layover Exploring Iconic Spots

    As I mentioned in my previous post, we had a few days’ layover in LA on our way back to Cayman from the Philippines. I ensured we made the best of our short trip, so I booked a full-day tour from A Day in LA Tours. The trip was exhausting since the flight was 13 hours long, and immediately afterward, we went on a full-day tour. But to be honest, it was doable! We were able to visit Venice Beach, Santa Monica Pier, Beverly Hills, Farmer’s Market, the Hollywood sign (from the Griffith Observatory), and the Hollywood Walk of Fame! The tour was so comprehensive that we didn’t feel like we missed out on any popular attractions. Santa Monica Pier At the heart of Santa…

  • Lazy Sunday

    Lazy Sunday

    Today is just a normal rest day for me. I started the day off with a glass of water and a 60 minute yoga workout. Ever since I discovered yoga I have been so interested in it that I want to do it almost everyday. I just stayed at home the whole day, cooked ramen, took a nap for a little bit, and continued watching Crash Landing On You. I live in the suburb part of the island so my view every morning is so peaceful and serene. I must say countryside is perfect for soul searching and meditation. If you haven’t tried yoga before I highly suggest you do. Especially if you are under a lot of stress and have trouble managing your mental…

  • The Crystal Caves

    The Crystal Caves

    The Crystal Caves are one of Cayman’s natural tourist  attractions located in a lush tropical forest. Amongst the forest and caves are captivating tropical plant and animal life. Millions of years ago, the caves were all underwater. As time passed, sea levels began to lower and land became visible. The caves were formed due to water erosion. These were used as hideouts or hurricane shelters by the pirates hundreds of years ago (yes, pirates of the Caribbean were actually a real thing!), and according to legends some of their treasures were hidden here! I went to see the site like around a month or two ago before the pandemic went crazy and I was with two other cruise tourists. Our jolly tour guide would every…

  • Life Update: Week 2

    Life Update: Week 2

    Hey everyone, how have you been? To be honest, my week was somehow mediocre. It is not necessarily unproductive, but it isn’t as productive as I would like it to be as well. Unlike most people, I physically go to work every other day, and when I’m not, I’m either doing house chores, groceries, or bank runs. I thought everything was okay, until yesterday. To my surprise, I had a really bad panic attack. I thought I stopped having those a long time ago? It has gotten worse from how it used to be before. I was just having my dinner, and the next thing I know I was crying over my food, catching my breath; my hands numb and shaking. I had no idea…

  • Pros and Cons of Living in Cayman Islands

    Pros and Cons of Living in Cayman Islands

    Hey everyone! Today’s topic is about my experiences here in the Cayman Islands. I’ve been a residing here since 2018 and throughout my stay I’ve summarised the top things that I think are the upsides and downsides of living here. Without further ado, let’s start! Pros: 1. Less pollution.ย  I was born and raised in Manila, and that already speaks of how much environmental issues I can endure. Here in Cayman, I do not notice any type of pollution, may it be air, water, land, or even noise. Since the island thrives on tourism, the people and the government are strict with cleanliness so you won’t see people littering around. And if you do, they get cleaned up so fast! Air is also not a…

2 Comments

  1. Such a memorable trip, Anne. Beautiful photos. I’d like to follow back to reciprocate your kindness, but I can find the subscribe button.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *