I think most of you are no strangers to Kyoto and Osaka, but allow me to take you back a couple months when Aisyah and I spent our long weekend there. Yes, WE WERE TOURISTS AF. I mean we had to have a picture at Fushimi Inari Taisha, right?!

Gion, the geisha district of Kyoto, remains my favorite. There are old wooden buildings and the whole area feels very dated (in a good way) but alas, this attracts a ton of tourists which made photo-taking a pain. Case in point, the above photo, where I was photobombed by “selfie girls” at the Yasaka-no-to Pagoda but I thought the yukata added a little Japanese touch which I appreciate. Even Aisyah couldn't resist renting her own while we explored the shrines.

TIP: Head to Arashiyama Bamboo Forest early morning to avoid photobombers, plus you get a nice light for pictures!

Of course, no trips would be completed without coffee so on my list was the % Arabica cafe. We visited both branches, Kyoto and Arashiyama, served by the same long-haired barista on both occasions. What a pleasant coincidence! :p

Osaka was mostly food with a side of cats. Aisyah insisted on going to the Neko no Jikan, the first cat cafe in the country. This was also the place I discovered my allergy to cat fur, I was sneezing non-stop! I think I'll stick to my Pusheen merchandise. I highly recommend the Calpis Cola if you're getting a drink while playing with the cats!

The edibles - I had some ramen which Aisyah had to sit out because haram, fluffy cheese tarts from Pablo (I mean...) and Luke's Lobster which was good sans the queue. We spent a good amount of our remaining time taking pretentious photos in the middle of the road, tyvm.

I think I'll give Japan a break for now. I know, I can hear my friends booing at the back (especially Ronald... and Jing Pei!) Daniel and I got some exciting travel plans for 2017, but meanwhile I will continue my throwbacks and keep the blog active. Don't be a stranger!

x

That Japanese Summer.

Let's Hit Refresh.

Taco Sunday.