Japan: Getting There

So I mentioned in my post about Marseille that I went there to get my visa for Japan done. I will make a separate page about getting visas done later, so hold tight for you travelers. Anyway, I got my visa done so I can come to Japan (yes, I'm already here) on a student visa. I was radio silent to most people who knew me about the whole affair. only my family and a handful of people knew when I was actually going to be in Japan, if they knew I was coming here at all.

Anyway, before getting to Japan I did a major overhaul of my stuff. I decided I do not want to have a lot of luggage getting to the airport, especially since I was all by myself. I got rid of a lot of my clothes but I still had more luggage than I wanted. I'm actually in the process of completely overhauling my wardrobe and downsizing it, but that's a tangent I don't need right now. I left Biscarrosse at a good time, the usual bus that Anna and I took to travel around actually stops in Biscarrosse during vacations, so I didn't have to go all the way to Bordeaux to catch a bus to Paris. Lucky me! My mentor teacher from Bisca Plage, Karine, gave me a lift to the station and waited with me. It was hard leaving her, she made my stay in France a lot better than it would have been. (Karine, I miss you!)

It was an eight hour bus ride to Paris overnight. So, naturally, I tried to sleep. Couldn't though. Don't know why but I just couldn't. I arrived at Paris Bercy Bus Terminal around 6:30 am, hours before my 9pm flight. I took a taxi to the Charles de Gaulle Roissy airport. It was expensive, but better than lugging 2 luggage pieces, a sports bag, and my backpack on the metro, and now Parisian taxis has flat rates to and from the airport, so it was 50 euros to get there.

After putting my luggage in storage, I went to an airport hotel called Ibis hotels to see if I can get an hourly deal and get some sleep before my flight. I managed to get about 4 hours before I had to vacate the room. Better than nothing, right? Ibis hotels is a fairly nice hotel at fairly low prices. While I'd recommend hostels for travelers on a budget, Ibis is good for people with that extra cash to spend. The room was small but the bed was comfortable and it was the perfect place to get some REM sleep before I headed back out into the main airport. Ibis hotels is located near the TGV train station in terminal 1, and you can find it easily by following the signs.

Anyway, after getting my rest I basically chilled in the airport for hours before my check-in time. I ate, exchanged the cash I had (euros to yen, sweet exchange rate) and wandered around to see where I had to check in at. About 3 hours before my flight, I went to check in and found I was basically the only person from economy checking in for JAL (Japan Airlines) at that time, but business and first class was pretty swamped. They put me in a separate line, but I guess the gods favor me because a man said that basically I'd be forgotten if I was left there so they let me check in first, before even a lot of people in better classes. Score, right? Very good service and I regret not getting his name.

Anyway, after checking in it was smooth sailings from there. I went to my gate, got dinner, chatted with my sis while I waited, and was zen. Tired, but zen. We began boarding around 9:15 and boarded without any mishap, and we took off without any issues. Obviously. Dinner on JAL was pretty good, they generally have pretty good on-flight meals. I didn't manage to get a lot of sleep on my 12 hour flight, but I made up for it later.

When I arrived in Japan, I took a shuttle bus into central Tokyo and my friend Krystal helped me move into my apartment (Thank god for good friends). After moving in, we went out to eat before going back to our respective homes. The journey was pretty uneventful, sorry for the boring post. It's mostly for the family.

Friday Afternoon in Barcelona

Okay, so after my November trip to Toulouse, I didn't really do much by ways of travelling. However, when January rolled around, I had the opportunity to go to Barcelona with my mother! Yes, the mothership flew in with my younger sister and I met them in Paris, and then we took a plane from there to Barcelona, which was much warmer than Paris. We only had a single day in Barcelona, but we were able to maximize what we saw because of my careful planning.

No, really, it was my planning cuz my mom and my sister literally planned to wander around and see what was there. Not a bad plan either but I had things I wanted to see.

The evening we arrived we visited the Picasso Museum. Unfortunately cameras are prohibited there so I didn't take any photos, but I highly recommend it to anyone into Picasso, it includes not only his works, but works from artists who used similar style and ran in his circle. We also saw Spain's Arco Del Triumfo, the Spanish equivalent to France's Arc de Triomph (which also has a twin at Washington Square in NYC). It was a beautiful sight in the Barcelona night.

The next morning, after breakfast, we visited the Museu Xocolata, the Chocolate Museum which describes the history of chocolate and how it came to be so globally popular. It originated in Central America and was brought over by the Spanish, and from there chocolate spread like an epidemic. What's cool is your ticket in is an actual chocolate bar. A museum visit and a chocolate bar? Yes please! The museum features many chocolate sculputes in glass cases in order to maintain the temperature so they won't melt. There was even a Star Wars special exhibit! There are booths that talk about the history of chocolate as well.

After the Museu Xocolata we went to the beach because we could. We were in Barcelona so, even in the winter, we had to visit the beach. The water was pretty clear, although the winter made it look grey. In the summer I'm sure the place would be packed, so I'm glad we visited in the winter, even if it was raining. After the beach we found a gondola to ride to the Montjuic hills and saw the gardens there. Also, very worth it because the gondola gave a great view of the city skyline. Iono what happened to my pictures of the skyline. They ghosted on me.

After Montjuic, I insisted we visit the Sagrada Familia, the famous church that isn't even finished yet (but will be finished in about 10 years). To get in tickets had to be bought online, but once you enter you see that the church is even bigger than it looks like on the outside. The outdoor architecture is amazing enough on it's own and it shows just how long it took to build the church. Some parts were clearly very old, while others were brand spanking new. The inside shows the many multi-colored stained-glass windows and lights incorporated into the gothique feel of the building. It was very much worth going to and I recommend it to anyone planning to visit Barcelona.

We had dinner at the HardRock which wasn't far from where we were staying and it was pretty good as well. The portions were just as huge as normal and we took home extras to eat as breakfast or a midnight snack.

Lastly, just walking around Barcelona is an experience in itself. There is a walking street called La Rambla (which was the street our hotel was on) where you can just... walk. And shop and eat. During the night there are fountains that light up and put on a show as well.

Unfortunately we only had the two days in Barcelona, but we will definitely return one day.

All in all Barcelona is a very cool place to visit and it gets five apples. A full five.

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A Day in Marseille

A Day in MARSEILLE

Hi guys. I decided to write about Marseilles today and then I'll backtrack to my experiences in Bordeaux, Toulouse and Paris. Bordeaux and Toulouse will be in one post and Paris will have it's own because it IS Paris. But today is all about MARSEILLE because that is where I am right now.

And without further ado: allons-y!

MARSEILLE is the oldest city in France and one day really isn't enough to see everything, especially since I came here on official business (to apply for my Japanese visa, but more on that later). I only really got to see A few things but I'll talk about them anyway. Like Paris, Marseilles doesn't give off the feel of a big city initially. But it is still quite a large city and you feel that soon after you walk down the Marseillais streets.

First let's talk hostels. In the future I'll create a separate page with links to hostels and to restaurants but not right now. Anyway, I am currently at the Auberge de Jeunesse Marseilles- Bonneveine and I was quite impressed with it's facilities. My room isn't great but my bedazzled comfortable for an 8-person dorm (all female). It has , a small games area, a kitchen For the residents, and even a restaurant/Cafeteria for the residents. There is also a bar because it IS for legal adults. Breakfast is included with all reservations and usually consists of bread, fruit, cereal and a drink (coffee, tea, hot cocoa, juice). Not high quality but this place is designed for travelers on a budget. Breakfast is served from 7am to 9:30am.

The staff is pretty friendly too. One fellow dreadhead greeted me warmly In a neo Rasta way (locks, bringing people together) and they weren't rude at all. I was pretty comfortable other than the fact that I was alone. But most people who stay in these places tend to be very open so that wasn't an issue for long. Really it was a nice setup.

After arriving I went out in search of dinner and thankfully there are several places to eat nearby at a decent price. The youth hostel also Isn't far from the beach so you can go in the afternoon. Yes, is warm enough to go to the beach in southern France right now. I didn't get to go but I got some awesome pictures on my way from the train station. The water is sapphire blue and it definitely sparkles in the sun.

I did, however visit a church that sits high over the city for an awesome view of Marseilles. The Notre Dame de la Garde in MARSEILLE is a beautiful cathedral that sits on a hill and overlooks the city. It's architecture, though write typical of cathedrals in France, is undeniably beautiful. Atop this cathedral is a shining statue. Sentinel right?

As for what I ate, basically I ate fast food. I did not have the time to look for authentic bouillabaise, the dish Marseilles is known for ( I wish I did cuz that sounds fucking delicious now). But In did visit the Vieux-Port, the old port of MARSEILLE. It is pretty modernized now but it is a great place to chill in the sun and watch the boats.

To say I didn't have enough time in Marseilles would be an understatement, but I fully intend to return. There is so much to learn about this. It's that is over 2600 years old and still poppin.

To Toulouse: It was a long time coming

Okay, so you haven't heard from me in a while and it's because I've been really lazy. Now, here's the official update: I'm in Japan now.

Whuuuuuuuut? Since wheeeeeeeen? I know, I know, I made no announcement but the reason why I didn't is because I wasn't sure if I can stick around. So you all recall that post "What Will Mocha Do?" I mentioned choosing between France and Japan and well... I chose both. I am in Japan for Graduate school so most of my new adventures will be in Japan although I am trying to work out going to other East Asian countries as well. Anyway, done with the final announcements, let's get this road on the show!

Toulouse is called "La Ville en Rose" or "The Pink City" in English. Why? Well... it really looks like a pink city. Most of the buildings in Toulouse are made with a stone that's reddish-pink and if you're not paying close attention it looks like an outright shade of pink. I'm not a fan of the color, but Toulouse wears pink very well and creates a special kind of charm to go with it. Paris is often known as the city of love, but I feel like Toulouse would be a better fit because it's pink. What color fits a sweet, cute love than pink?

Anyways....

I went with Anna to Toulouse (I miss you, girl) and we were lucky enough to be there on Market day, and the apartment we were staying at via Airbnb was right next to a morning market. We were able to walk by and see all the fresh fruit and wares that people were selling early in the morning. Because France is big on markets, these street markets are usually huge and there were a lot of people there. France gets the small business thing. It really does.

After the morning market we set out to explore the city. We managed to be close to the river, so we walked along the river and looked at the green trees and pink(ish) stones. There were walkways below lining the riverbeds where people can wander and just look at the water.

After the short walk we met Anna's cousin at Cafe des Artistes, which was by the river and very crowded. Originally we wanted seats outdoors because you do that in France, but we could only find seats inside. I ordered a viennoise hot chocolate and a personal pizza. It was pretty good, if you ask me.

After Lunch with Anna's cousin we continued to wander around and found a pretty park to look around before we both decided to do touristy stuff like going to visit a cathedral! Cathedrals are always interesting because of their beautiful architecture and intricate details applied there. It was simply too good to pass up! Now this was a while ago so I don't remember the names of  the cathedrals, but let's admit it, gothique cathedrals are all worth a look so if you find one just check it out!

In the evening we settled down for dinner and had crepes, because we could and they were quite delicious. They weren't the sweet crepes either, but the ones people could actually consider meals. We only had one day to explore Toulouse, but we went around and saw a lot!

For more pictures please check out the photo gallery!

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