margie blogs

Travel Diary: Mexico City

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 13:00:00 +0000

Parque Quetzalcóatl

Back in February, I had the amazing opportunity to visit Mexico City on a girls' trip.

Check out are my favorite highlights from the trip below.

Parque Quetzalcóatl - This park is an architectural project by Javier Senosiain. It's still in development but you can tour the grounds through a private tour. My favorite parts of the space were the residential complex, greenhouse and the vegetable gardens.

The main structure of the residential complex is Quetzalcóatl, an Aztec serpent deity. You will also find all sorts of Serpent structures scattered throughout the space.

The greenhouse felt super magical with the multi-colored stained glass. There is a walk inside that spirals up to the top entrance, where you can slide down. :)

Teotihuacán Archaelogical Complex - I'm a bit of a history geek, so this complex was on top of my list. We did a guided morning tour. Once at the site, a certified tour guide from the site took us around while our tour guide translated for him. Most interestingly, I learnt that the pyramids were built by a civilization predating the Mayans and Aztecs known as Teotihuacán. They were a female-dominated society and the pyramids are actually temples.

The pyramid of the Sun was super impressive up close and much larger than the pyramid of the Moon (shown below)

If you look up close into the grout between the stones, you'll notice all the grout has black dots in them. Our guide told us that was to showcase reconstruction versus the original structure. Very little of the original structure is left, and most of what we saw on the site was a reconstruction.

Masala y Maíz - Serving dishes with Indian, African and Mexican cuisine influences. Our entire table was super impressed by the shrimp dish, Camarones pa’pelar. The grilled shrimp is stuff with vanilla and morita chiles, and was so savory and juicy. It boggled our minds that vanilla dish could be savory, since vanilla is usually associated with being sweet.

Madre Cocina Mexicana at Coyoacan Market - Serving delicious Chilaquiles Rellenos. My friends and I ordered the dish with different stuffings and salsa. I got mine with Red Salsa and Papas. The owner was super friendly and gave us recommendations as we looked through the menu.

Quintonil - now considered the 3rd best restaurant by the World's 50 best restaurants list, my dining experience here was the best experience ever. I had many friends recommend us to check it out. Initially, I was quite apprehensive as my friends mentioned they incorporate insects into their cuisine. However I had a fantastic experience and now highly recommend the restaurant to everyone. Each course felt carefully through out and curated. Our server took time to explain each course to us, and we even got to see the fresh, local ingredients used for the meal.

I was super impressed by the chef's attention to detail. Like the fact they make their own in-house garum, which is ancient Roman fish sauce recipe. I also thought the way they incorporated local insects to their cuisine was very tasteful and delicious. I'm forever grateful to the Mariachi band that kept me up at night, so that I was able to snag the last-minute reservations to Quintonil! 😝

Overall, Mexico City was such a vibrant and fun city to visit. There was so many things to see and do, and I can definitely see myself coming back to visit in the future. This post would be endless if I managed to list all my favorite moments of the trip. I'm going to end this post with my favorite destinations.

Shopping:

Goodbye Folk Vintage - a multi-level thrift store, where they also rework pieces for sale. I got a cool reworked Ralph Lauren shirt.

Proyecto Rufina - airy gorgeous linen and cotton clothing. They also sell ceramics.

Museums:

Museo Nacional de Antropología - We went during one of the free evenings. The museum is massive and impressive. I was really impressed with their Aztec exhibit.

National Art Museum - We also went during one of the free days, and it's a beautifully stunning building in the historic center.

Frida Kahlo Museum - Art lovers, this museum is a must. I recommend to get your tickets ahead of time. I enjoyed how the museum curated Frida Kahlo's life. The blue house was beautiful in person, and you could really feel how Frida Kahlo lived her life in Casa Azul.

More Food:

Panadería Rosetta - Pastry shop serving some interesting pastries! My friend enjoyed the Rol de Guayaba, while I liked the blueberry focaccia. They also sell coffee and other goods to take home!

Tacos Los Condes -While everyone has their own favorite tacos recommendations, this one was my favorite. My favorite tacos were the chicken tacos - very juicy and tender. The salsas were ace and they offered a variety of fresh fruit juices. Definitely a gem in the neighborhood I stayed in.

Churreria El Moro Centro - Great place to grab churros and chocolate on the go - need I say more?

Until next time, adiós!

Travel Diary: Rome, Italy

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 31 Dec 2024 14:00:00 +0000

View from Castel Sant'Angelo

When we took our first taxi ride into Rome from FCO Airport, our taxi driver told us "Welcome to the Jungle". Exploring Rome is not for the faint-hearted, but it was an experience to remember and we had a wonderful time.

We stayed at the citizenM Hotel Rome Isola Tiberina right in the heart of Rome. Located in the Jewish Quarter, it was the perfect location to branch out and visit all the different neighborhoods. The hotel itself had modern and clean rooms, a big spacious bed, and an ipad to control the room lighting, temperature, TV & blinds. There were some minor bumps with the tech, but overall our stay was lovely.

A 3-Day Itinerary in Rome:

Day ONE

AM: Visit the Pantheon. On Sunday's, the Pantheon opens at 12pm. We lined up at the cash-only line, which was significantly shorter than the mobile ticket line.

Front of the Pantheon

Inside the Pantheon

AFTERNOON: Walk to Castel Sant'Angelo. Most sites in Rome required an advanced reserved ticket but the castle was one of the places we didn't have to buy tickets in advance. It ended up being one of my favorite sites on the trip.

Castel Sant'Angelo is a Rotunda initially commissioned by Emperor Hadrian as a Mausoleum for him and his family. Over the centuries, the castle was repurposed for many purposes.

One of things I didn't see mentioned much in travel guides was that the Castle provided amazing views of Rome. It was relatively easy to walk around and up to the top of the castle. Since it's a Rotunda style building, you can get amazing 360 degree views of the Rome!

PM: Explored Trastevere for some good food. Our hotel was within walking distance of the Trastevere district. We ended up checking out Nannarella. Loved trying the Carciofo alla Giuda (fried artichoke).

Day TWO

AM: Visit the Colosseum. You must book a timed slot to visit the Colosseum. We got the Arena tickets which allows you to entrance to the arena area of the Colosseum. The perk is you could spend as much time as you wanted in this section and it was less crowded than the standard ticket. Ideally, I would have loved to get the Night Tour tickets but those are hard to get!

AFTERNOON: Visit the Roman Forum and Palantine Hill. This visit was included with the full-experience ticket. Everything is right next to each othe, so we followed the lines to enter the sites. I highly recommend using the bathrooms near the entrances before embarking on your exploration. I also recommend to wear good sturdy shoes. We did lots of walking and the uneven stone paths can be hard on the feet.

PM: Walk along Via dei Fori Imperali. This was the favorite part of my trip. On this walk, you can see the Roman Forum and many other sites lit up at night! It was a spectacular sight to see. Seeing the ancient sites and buildings at night felt like I was in another world.

DAY THREE

AM: Visit Vatican Museums. Reserved tickets are a must! We went in the AM hoping to beat the crowds but wished we had done an afternoon tour instead. It was completely packed with tour groups and tourists. I booked the guided tour from the Museum and once you're done with the tour, you're free to do as you wish. We ended up doing a second loop of the museum and were able to appreciate the art much more on the second go-around.

PM: St. Peter's Square & Basilica There was no shortcut to walk to Basilica from the Museums. We had to walk outside along the Vatican walls to reach the Square - a good 15-20 minute walk.

After exploring the Square, we took the metro back for our dinner reservation and explored the area around Piazza Navona. Found some cool shops such as Emporio Centrale and in Via del Governo Vecchio - Kolby.

Gran Caffè Rione VIII - a lovely cafe!

We finished off our Roman Holiday with a great dining experience at Renato e Luisa. I recommend making reservations in advance for any restaurant you want to try in Rome. The highly-rated restaurants were often fully booked and have no room for walk-ins.

BONUS: On our last night of our Italy trip, we went back to Rome to catch our flight home. We visited the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain at 1am and it was perfect. There was virtually no one at the Spanish Steps. The Trevi Fountain still had quite a bit of people but it wasn't packed like it would have been during the day.

Ciao, 2024!

Travel Diary: Florence, Italy

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 24 May 2024 13:00:00 +0000

When I went to Italy for the first time in 2022, Florence was the city that captured my heart. I had the opportunity to visit again this year and it remains my favorite city in Italy so far. I love how compact and walkable the city is, and as an art and architecture lover - it definitely hits the spot.

For this travel diary, I'll be testing a new format compared to my past entries. Below, you'll find my recommended itinerary and a list of my favorite sites, stores, & restaurants in Florence.

A 3 day Florence Itinerary:

Day ONE

AM: Climb Brunelleschi's Dome and descend to visit the connecting Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore.

View from top of the Duomo

Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore - hard to capture how massive is it is, so see the video below!

I recommend getting the Bunelleschi's pass, a 3 day pass, that includes access to Giotti's Bell Tower, Baptistery of San Giovanni, the Opera del Duomo Museum, and the Basilica of Santa Reparata. The Basilica is located underneath the church, you can visit it when you're inside the church. And for those afraid of heights (like I am), after climbing the Duomo, we did not feel the need to climb the Bell Tower.

AM CONTINUED: Visit the Baptistery and the Opera del Duomo Museum

NOON: Lunch

AFTERNOON: Uffizi Gallery (I recommend getting tickets beforehand online. Takes a minimum 2 - 3 hours to get through the gallery. My favorites were definitely the Botticelli pieces.)

Pictures don't do The Birth of Venus justice, but I loved the whimsical and airy feel of Botticelli's works.

PM: Explore Ponte Vecchio and have dinner

(If you're walking to Ponte Vecchio from Uffizi Gallery, the other side of the bridge is littered with interesting shops, bars and restaurants!)

Day TWO

AM: Galleria dell'Accademia to see Michaelangelo's David (This is a small gallery and will take you no more than an hour to visit)

A 360 view of the statue of David makes you understand what a masterpiece it is

AM CONTINUED: Capelle Medicee (We checked this out as we were history lovers. The Medici Family were also incredibly powerful and influential to medieval Florence. Visiting this chapel further put into perspective how important they were!)

NOON: Lunch at Mercato Centrale

They don't have Il Trapizzino anymore, but there are tons of options at Mercato Centrale

AFTERNOON: Biboli Gardens & Pitti Palace (The Biboli gardens is massive. I recommend skipping this during high summer, as it can get too hot. The gardens can be barren in the summer.)

PM: Explore the Santo Spirito area for cool local shops, bars, and restaurants. See my recommendations down below.

Day THREE

AM: Visit Piazzale del Michelangelo to catch the sunrise. (You can either take the bus or walk up to the Piazzale depending where you're coming from. There is a really lovely panoramic view of central Florence from the top, so you can really go anytime.)

AM CONTINUED: Basilica of Santa Croce

NOON: Lunch

PM: Palazzo Vecchio (Note: They do sell out of tickets to climb the tower if you get them at the door towards the end of the day)

PM: Explore & go shopping!

Recommendations:

Hotel: 4F Boutique Hotel (I loved my stay here so much that I stayed here on my second visit. It's a small boutique hotel right by the water and next to the US consulate. Very walkable into central Florence. The front desk is super friendly. Stay includes breakfast but no restaurant. They have a bar available and a lovely rooftop with views of the Duomo.)

Lounge area

Breakfast :)

Leather goods: Benheart (Really friendly shop managers with top notch service. They sell an array of quality leather shoes, bags, jackets, and belts.)

Leather Belts & Accessories: QUOIO (One man workshop from Leather Artisan Ciro. He sells beautiful customizable bullhide belts)

Leather Shoes: Stefano Bemer (Check out the store for a cool experience! All the artisans make the shoes in the middle of the shop.)

Fragrances, candles: Original Santa Maria Novella Location (This original location is right next to the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, and it's absolutely stunning! They have a beautiful floral entrance, extravagant rooms built with an apothecary style touch. Visiting this store felt magical and it is a wonderful place to get fragrances, candles, skincare gifts for yourself or your loved ones.)

Santa Maria Novella Entrance

Inside one of the rooms at Santa Maria Novella

Basilica de Santa Maria Novella

Barber Goods: Coltelleria Bianda (A small one-man shop selling everything from barber supplies to kitchen knives)

Gelato: B.ice (There is probably another gelato shop someone else would recommend as better! But this was near my hotel and their yogurt flavor was my absolute favorite. 😋)

Local Grocery Store: La Bottega (Grab everything from Pistachio pralines, olive oil, pasta, and mushroom marinades to bring home!)

Cafes: Ditta artiginale Neri

Shake Cafe (They have a location next to the Basilica of Santa Croce too. Great place to stop for refreshing juices, smoothies and other healthy alternatives.)

Restaurants:

Antico Ristoro Cambi (My favorite restaurant in Florence! Wonderful local dishes like Florentine Steak or Florentine Tripe. The Cambi's Mix of Starters was my personal Favorite.)

Cambi's Mix of Starters

Florentine Steaks to choose from :)

Ristorante del Fagoli: Seasonal fresh handmade pastas, takes cash only.

Plus, a pro tip for getting around by bus: If you cannot find a public ticketing machines to purchase a bus ticket, you can go into any Tabacchi store and purchase tickets inside. :)

Travel Diary: Galway + Cork, Ireland

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 30 Dec 2023 14:00:00 +0000

Wrapping up my 2023 with a final travel diary from my February Ireland trip! I've always wanted to see the Cliffs of Moher and Aer Lingus had some amazing flight deals. On my trip, I visited Dublin, Galway and Cork.

I arrived in Dublin Airport and immediately went into one of the shops to purchase the leap card for the bus (you can top up the card whenever you need to!). From the airport, the bus was super easy and straightforward to take into Leeson Street Lower. I arrived into town later in the afternoon and after settling in, I explored Dublin with my friends later that night.

My first Irish coffee at Vice Coffee. It was delicious :)

The next morning, we woke up early to catch our tour bus to the Cliffs of Moher. The tour was day trip to Cliffs of Moher and Galway combined, but we requested the driver to leave us behind in Galway. The ride to the Cliffs was about 3 hours. The roads got smaller as we reached the cliffs and frankly I developed motion sickness by the end lol

When we arrived at the Cliffs of Moher, we got really lucky and had about 10 minutes of good weather before the fog and rain took over. It was a stunning sight and was everything I imagined it to be!

After visiting the cliffs, the tour bus dropped us off in Galway infront of Kinlay Hostel - where we stayed. Galway is a university seaside town, known for its vibrant culture and many festivals! I also noticed the architecture of the town was unique and colorful.

Near our hostel, we found a walking tour sign and checked it out the next day. Our guide was a college student, who was extremely knowledgable and funny. I recommend checking out the Tribes walking tour right outside of Skeff Bar. While I didn't get good pictures from the tour, below are some of my favorites photos from Galway. :)

By this point of the trip, one thing that stood out to me about was all the amazing food! We had delicious meals wherever we went. There was seriously no bad meal!

Tried an amazing risotto at Hooked

Got coffee at coffeewerk + press

The following day, my friend and I took a bus from Galway to Cork - our next destination. At the city centre we checked out the Cork English Market. I was able to find some blackcurrant jams there, which are my favorite!

Inside the market

We also visited Cork City Goal, a former prison, now a museum. We did the guided tour and learnt alot about this 19th century prison. The guide told us how the prisoners there were ones that had committed petty crimes, and were often repeat offenders. In the picture below, they had figures of prisoners inside various cells and told us stories of why they were there.

We also visited Shandon Tower at St Anne's Church and climbed up to see a view of Cork from the tower!

View from Shandon Tower

Walking around Cork :)

Did not know he was from Cork 😮

We continued to have more delicious food in Cork! We frequented Gallagher's Cork during our stay.

Their Signature Pie :)

Our server at Gallagher's recommended we try the Irish Breakfast at Tara's Tea Room. And we were not disappointed :)

A trip to Cork is not complete without a visit to Blarney Castle! Blarney Castle is a medieval fortress dating back to 1446. When you visit the grounds, you can also see Blarney House, and extensive gardens & paths. Personally, I enjoyed the Poison Garden that had many interesting poisonous plants.

Blarney Castle

Blarney House

I wrapped up my trip by taking the train back to Dublin. Ireland really stole my heart with the incredibly funny and friendly locals, the beautiful scenery and amazing food! I'd come back here in a heart beat.

In Dublin

This also wraps up my 2023 - this was an interesting year for me. I'm learning to prioritize my health and be grateful for all my opportunities, no matter how big or small. I hope to post more entries on this blog in 2024, even if its just for myself. I hope everyone also has the time to reflect on their year and have an amazing year ahead!

Travel Diary: Zermatt, Switzerland

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 21 Oct 2023 16:00:00 +0000

Since visiting Zermatt last summer, it has become one of my favorite destinations I've traveled to. I fell in love with this beautiful mountain resort town from the moment we took the train to it from Geneva.

Some simple, but stunning views on the train ride into Zermatt!

Once we arrived at the main station, our pre-arranged ride from our hotel was there to pick us up. We chose to stay at Hotel Aristella Swissflair, and we enjoyed our two night stay immensely. They're a small family run hotel, and we loved our Panorama Double Room with a view of the Matterhorn. :)

View from our room

While we chose to stay in a room with a view of the Matterhorn, you don't need to book this type of room, as you can pretty much see Matterhorn from anywhere in the town! I have so many pictures of this mountain now 😂

Some yummy bites from Zermatt Kitchen!

We went back twice afterwards for coffee =)

Since we arrived in Zermatt later in the afternoon, we grabbed some food at Zermatt Kitchen downstairs and tucked in early so we could catch the famous Matterhorn sunrise the next day!

First sunrise

Video version

The cool thing about catching the sunrise of the Matterhorn, is the weather app on your iPhone tells you exactly when to catch it. We woke up around 5am to catch the famous Golden Sunrise.

This is also a well-known common fact, but the mountain on Toblerone depicts the Matterhorn :)

View point video from Gonergrat station

After watching the sunrise, we booked it to the Gornergrat Bahn to catch the first train up to Gornergrat. The Railway is located across the street from the Zermatt main train station. At Gornergrat, you can see the Gorner Glacier, Matterhorn, and 29 peaks all 4,000 metres in height. It also hosts the Kulm hotel, the highest hotel in the Swiss Alps!

Hiking down to Riffelsee from Gornergrat

Next, we hiked down to Riffelsee. It was a short, easy downhill hike, around 2km. If you're worried about getting lost, there were clear signs that point you to the right direction. You can also follow the crowd, all who were heading to the lake!

Matterhorn Reflection at Riffelsee

I remember it being a perfect summer day with the air being super clear and the views all around gorgeous! We could see the reflection of the Matterhorn in Riffelsee, shown in the video above.

From Riffelsee, we hiked down to Riffelberg station. There were two trail options and we opted for the shorter trail. At the station, there is a rest stop and restaurant. We ate our first meal of the day there. The restaurant served Swiss food and had live music playing outside! We took the train back down later to the Main Station and spent the rest of the day exploring the town.

We finished up our day by trying Swiss fondue at Restaurante Pinte! I highly recommend making a reservation at any restaurant you want to try in Zermatt, as it was quite packed and busy at most places.

Trying fondue at Pinte

To conclude, there was one thing that stood out to me the most in Zermatt. It wasn't mentioned in any of the travel guides I read before going. Zermatt has a river called the Matter Vispa that runs through the town. The river flows from the Glaciers and was visibly loud and running strong all times. It provided a coolness to the town, which was amazing to experience after encountering the heat wave in Italy. It was a truly neat & unique experience that I won't forget! 😌

Travel Diary: Bellinzona + Sonogno, Switzerland

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 12 May 2023 16:00:00 +0000

In front of Sonogno

Last September, I went on my third trip to Switzerland. We were looking to explore the Italian-speaking region of the country, as we were also heading down to Northern Italy for the first time. I had seen YouTube videos on Valle Verzasca and was instantly taken by the beautiful footage of the medieval village, Sonogno.

Initially, we were looking to stay near Locarno, but the Locarno Film Festival was happening and many places were fully booked. We decided to stay nearby in Bellinzona instead. Bellinzona is the capital of the Ticino Canton and the town has three famous Castles - all deemed UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Looking like a speck in front of Castelgrande

View from Castelgrande

We stayed at Hotel Unione Bellinzona, and had a view of Castle Grande from our balcony. :)

View from the Balcony

On the first day, we arrived mid-afternoon and spent the rest of the day exploring the town. For our meals, we really enjoyed Casa del Popolo and ate pretty much all our meals there. We were obsessed with the Ticinese Minestrone!

Lovely pasta dish from Casa del Popolo

The next morning we headed out early to visit Sonogno, as there was limited times for buses that went up into the Valley. Depending on how you get there from Bellinzona, it can take around an hour and a half to an hour and 45 minutes. For example, on our way there we took two buses (311 & 321 bus), which took longer. But on our way back, we took the 321 bus out of the valley and the train back to Bellinzona.

Church tower in Sonogno

Sonogno is the last stop up in the Verzasca Valley. Along the way, you can stop by Ponte de Salti - a famous medieval double-arched stone bridge. We opted to see this on our way back as we wanted to have enough time to explore Sonogno and the waterfall.

Sonogno is the perfect example of a Ticino Village with its stone houses. The bus drops you right in front of the village and immediately you can walk through the village and view the traditional stone houses.

Cutting through the village and about a 17 minute walk, you can also visit La Froda. On the walk to the waterfall, you can see the Valley in its full glory and more traditional stone houses along the path. It's hard to see it from the pictures, but it was breathtaking view to see the high mountains of the valley all around.

Video of the valley on the way to La Froda

Some of the stone houses were unique and had natural boulders built around or next to them!

See the boulder in the middle of the house?

Since we went in July, it was peak summer season and extremely hot. By the time we reached the waterfall, we were very excited to take a dip in the fresh waters.

Arriving at La Froda

La Froda :)

We spent 2 days and 1 night total in Bellinzona and Sonogno. It was the perfect day trip to see this wonderful medieval village, but if you want to spend more time and explore Valle Verzasca properly, I'd recommend staying an extra day. It was incredibly neat viewing the valley on the bus ride up/down. You could see the beautiful mountains and the huge flat rocks along the river. There were lots of people sunbathing on these large flat rocks. I can see why it's a popular summer destination for locals and definitely recommend visiting for a unique adventure.

Travel Diary: Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 08 Nov 2021 06:53:00 +0000

Our next destination from Interlaken was Lauterbrunnen Valley. From the Interlaken OST train station, you can take a 20 minute train ride directly into Lauterbrunnen. I recommend downloading the SBB Mobile app to look for routes and time tables! We also used our flex Swiss Travel Pass to get around (see the Interlaken post for details!)

Lauterbrunnen

Once we arrived in Lauterbrunnen station, we headed to our hotel - Hotel Silberhorn. The hotel is super close to the station, about 150m away! We booked the Superior Room, but due to the time we arrived we were given a room facing the valley in the building across from the main building. The view was absolutely stunning, so no complaints there.

View from our room

View from the breakfast room

Dinner at the hotel restaurant

Dinner at the hotel was also pretty good. It's all local Swiss food, and the menu states where all ingredients are sourced from. Make a booking at front desk to ensure a spot, as there are limited dining options in Lauterbrunnen!

After dropping off our luggage we headed towards Stabbauch Falls. Along the way we came across Airtime Cafe, which became our go-to rest and lunch spot for the rest of our time there. The cafe is known for it's vegan options, and personally I thought they had great hot chocolate!

Inside the cafe

A warm chickpea, cheese and spinach dish!

Super delicious hot chocolate!

Stabbauch Falls was a short 11 minute walk from our hotel. The falls are a tall, but small waterfall to visit. We finished visiting the site within an hour.

Almost to the falls!

In front of Stabbauch Falls

Trümmelbach Falls

Afterwards, we headed towards Trümmelbach Falls. It's a 15 minute bus ride away, on the 141 bus line. To walk to the falls, there's a long path where you can see the view of the valleys - quite stunning.

Trümmelbach is a UNESCO world heritage site, and it drains the meltwater of the glaciers from the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau! The falls includes 10 glacial waterfalls inside a mountain. Lauterbrunnen Valley is known as the valley of 72 waterfalls, so it's really quite impressive!

Because most of the falls are underground and in the mountain, unfortunately I did not get that many great photos to share. I did take some videos, which I'll share below. The falls also have paths, lifts, and steps to make it easy for people to navigate. Personally, I found it a bit strenuous in some parts, so be prepared!

Mürren

The next day we went up to Mürren, so we could visit Schilthorn. Since Mürren is car-free, we took the Grütschalp cable car directly behind our hotel.

View of Lauterbrunnen Valley from the Grütschalp cable car

After taking the cable car to Grütschalp, we took a small train to the Mürren BLM train station, located north of the village.

Some sights along the way :)

From the train station, we walked 15 minutes to the cable car station at the other end of the village. This cable car will take you to Birg, the midway point. At Birg, there is a Skyline Walk and Thrill Walk you can explore. There is also a lovely bistro where you can take a break and grab some food.

From Birg, we took the final cable car up to Schilthorn. Schilthorn is 2970m high and provides a 360 degrees view of the Bernese Oberland! One of the older Bond movies was filmed here, so when you reach Schilthorn, you'll see a lot of Bond related merch and signage.

Schilthorn

I highly recommend checking the weather forecast before visiting. Unfortunately the morning we went, it was super foggy, so we didn't get to see the 360 views of the Bernese Oberland properly. Nevertheless, it's still a site I recommend checking out on better weather. :)

Wengen

We finished visiting Schilthorn in the early afternoon, so for the rest of the day we decided to do a hike. We chose the Wengen->Lauterbrunnen hike, a 2 mile hike. To get to Wengen, we took the train directly from Lauterbrunnen station to Wengen. It's an 11 minute ride - short and easy.

Wengen

I chose this hike as it said online it's good for all levels. However, if you have bad knees, I don't recommend this hike as it can be quite steep going down. Once at Wengen station, we followed signs along that way that said "Lauterbrunnen".

Signs you see along the way, leading you down

A good part of this hike was in the woods, so the best parts of this hike were at the beginning and the end. 😅 I would not do this hike again. It took four hours and you can get a much prettier view of Lauterbrunnen valley via the train down.

Some cute Swiss Cows :)

Along the way...

The end of the trail!

And this concludes our 2-day trip to Lauterbrunnen Valley! The next destination is Grindelwald - stay tuned!

Travel Diary: Interlaken & Lake Thun, Switzerland

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 02 Oct 2021 22:44:00 +0000

Top of Harder Kulm

Back in October 2019, I went on a 2 week trip to Switzerland and Southern Germany. It was my second time in Switzerland and I re-visited the Swiss-German speaking parts of the country. I hope this travel diary series will help provide you some tips and suggestions if you plan to visit.

Getting there

After landing in Zurich, we grabbed some SIM cards from Sunrise for our phones and purchased the 8-day Swiss Travel Pass from SBB. Personally, I think the Swiss Travel Pass is a great option for tourists - it allows for unlimited travel by train, boat, bus, and public transportation pretty much anywhere in Switzerland. You can also get discounted rates for certain mountain excursions, along with free entrances to various museums. If it's your first time to these attractions, the benefits of the travel pass far outweighs the costs.

Swiss Travel Pass Flex! You can input the days you want to use it!

The Swiss train system is also pretty easy to navigate. On my first trip in 2018, I used Google Maps to view the time tables (surprisingly accurate), but this time I used the SBB mobile app to plan which trains to get on.

Interlaken

Our first stop upon arriving in Zurich was to Interlaken. Interlaken is a resort town in the Bernese Oberland region of Centeral Switzerland. It's a popular spot to stay for those looking explore what the two lakes (Lake Thun and Lake Brienz) have to offer. It's also houses the train stop that leads directly into the Jungfrau region - more on that later.

The train ride from Zurich to Interlaken is about a 2-hour train ride, and once we arrived we headed to our accommodations - Hotel Interlaken.

Reformierte Schlosskirche located behind Hotel Interlaken

Hotel Interlaken is one of the oldest hotels in the region, with records dating back to the 1300s. I believe only parts of the original building structure remain. Despite it's 600 year history, the hotel is very modern and we enjoyed our stay there. It was also one of the more reasonably priced hotels in the area. The room rates included breakfast, and they were accomodating to providing adapters and suggestions on where to go!

View of from our hotel room

Harder Kulm

The next morning, we headed up Harder Kulm. It's a viewing point at the top of Interlaken where you can see Lake Thun and Lake Brienz side-by-side in all its glory! You can take the Harderbahn up to the top, and it's a short five minute walk from Hotel Interlaken.

Lake Brienz

Lake Thun

At the top there is a Panorama restaurant, where you can sit and enjoy the views around you. There's also a viewing bridge were you can take gorgeous shots of the region.

Restaurant

St. Beatus Caves

After Harder Kulm, we spent the rest of the day exploring areas around Lake Thun. Our first stop was St. Beatus Caves. We took bus line 21 directly to the Beatushöhlen stop. The outside of the caves reminded me of Rivendell from LOTR, even though I know Lauterbrunnen is the actual inspiration for it.

Do you agree it looks like Rivendell? 😄

Cute Gnome Statue on the way up to the cave entrance!

According to legend, St. Beat, a 6th century monk hunted a dragon who took shelter in these caves. Inside the caves you can see stalactites and stalagmites formations over millions of years old. It was a pretty neat experience. The cave paths were well laid out and lit, allowing for a smooth walking experience.

Beatenberg-Niderhorn

Getting foggy at Beatenberg-Niderhorn

Afterwards we headed up Beatenberg-Niderhorn next to the caves, but the weather started to get foggy as we headed up the mountain. So on we went to see Oberhofen Castle instead. It's a 13th cenury castle with stunning lake views and gardens.

Oberhofen Castle

Oberhofen Castle

Front of the castle

Castle Garden

Path in the Castle Garden

The castle also has a restaurant and that's were we had lunch!

Salmon with Risotto

Rosti with sausage and beets

Thun

Afterwards, we headed straight to Thun. Please note, since all these stops are along Lake Thun, we were able to take the same bus line 21 to every stop. :)

Thun Castle

Thun lies north-west of Lake Thun and its main attraction is Thun Castle. The castle was built in the 1200s. It towers over its Old Town, and it's a beautiful town to walk in. You can enjoy a lovely stroll through its cobblestone streets, charming bridges, and visit various shops.

I forgot to point out the water in Lake Thun is extremely clear and beautiful. You can seriously walk along the water all day - it's quite breathtaking.

Crystal clear waters

Lovely fall colors

Spiez

Our last stop of the day was Spiez. We took the train and it was a 9-minute ride from Thun to Spiez. Spiez is on the south side of Lake Thun. The small town also has its own castle, Spiez Castle - a thousand year old castle church. The town boasts various vineyards and I also saw quite a bit of people boating in this town.

Spiez View

Spiez Castle

The castle itself was closed by the time we reached there in the late afternoon. However, you can walk further down to the water and there's a lovely park where you can take more pictures of Lake Thun.

After this, we headed back to our hotel to enjoy our last night in Interlaken! We had dinner at the hotel's restaurant - Taverne. They serves Modern Swiss Cuisine and was certainly interesting to try for dinner.

Nightview of Reformierte Schlosskirche next to Taverne

Smoked Salmon course

Mousse appetizer

Stay tuned for the next stop - the Jungfrau region!

Transino Skincare + White C Clear Review

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 10 Sep 2021 01:34:00 +0000

For the past 6 months, I've been testing out some items from the skincare line "Transino". The Transino Skincare Series is by Japanese brand Daiichi Sankyo, and the star ingredient of this line is tranexamic acid - an active whitening ingredient promoting melanin production to target the source of spots.

I've tested my fair share of brightening skincare, but I've never tried anything with tranexamic acid before. As I get older whilst living under the strong Californian sun, I noticed I've been developing sun spots along my cheekbones. On top of a good sunscreen, I've been testing this line to see if it'll improve those spots.

Below, you'll find my thoughts on the following products:

Transino Medicated Whitening Clear Lotion EX

Transino Medicated Whitening Essence EX II

Transino Medicated Whitening Repair Cream EX

Transino Medicated Whitening Protector

Transino White C Clear

Transino Medicated Whitening Clear Lotion EX

This lotion is my favorite item in this range. In Japanese skincare, lotion is more like a toner/essence, meant to be used before serums and moisturizers. Furthermore, Transino skincare is also hypoallergenic and fragrance free! Great for sensitive skin like mine.

The lotion itself has a lightweight watery feel and absorbs easily into the skin. It's supposed to promote bright clear skin after use. Since my skin-type is sensitive combination skin, it leaves my skin feeling perfectly moisturized. I also haven't experienced any breakouts or irritation from it. The lotion itself is 150ml and it lasts a good 3-4 months if used every night. I'm already on my second bottle of this and plan on repurchasing in the future.

Transino Medicated Whitening Essence EX II

The Transino Medicated Whitening Essence EXII is meant to be used after the lotion, like a serum. It's supposed to target age spots. The texture of the essence is like a lightweight cream. Since it's on the thicker side, sometimes I alternate between the essence and the moisturizer as my last step. If my skin is feeling extra dry, I'll use both items.

Transino Medicated Whitening Repair Cream EX

The Transino Medicated Whitening Repair Cream EX is a gel-based cream meant to brighten your skincare while you sleep! I love love the texture of this - it glides onto my skin easily but I don't have to use alot. I use about a pea-sized amount for my entire face. This cream is also on my repurchase list.

Transino Medicated Whitening Protector

Since I had good success with the items above, I decided to give the sunscreen a shot! The Transino Medicated Whitening Protector is a whitening protection UV makeup base with SPF 50+ PA++++ protection. Unfortunately, this is my least favorite item of the line.

The protector has lightweight sunscreen lotion texture similar to the Shiseido Urban Environment Oil Free UV protector. However, when applied to the skin, it's greasy and difficult to spread. I really have to work it into the skin, and even if I do, it leaves a white cast on my face. The oiliness of the protector doesn't subside when applied onto the skin, so once it's applied I basically have this oily layer of sunscreen on for the rest of the day. Therefore, despite being a makeup base, I've been using this on my arms instead 😅

Transino White C Clear

The Transino White C Clear is a supplement. It's meant to target spots, freckles, and pigmentation from the inside. I purchased the 30 day supply, and have been taking 4 tablets each day (2 in the morning, 2 at night). I've started taking White C Clear a bit later than starting the skincare, but it's fairly easy to take and will continue testing it out for the rest of the year.

Finally, not pictured but I also tried out the Medicated Whitening Facial Mask EX. It comes in a pack of 4, and is supposed to help with UV damage and give brighter skin within 10 minutes! I enjoyed these masks, as I felt they adhered well to my skin and were soothing. However, I found them to be a bit pricy at 1,613 yen for 4 sheets. I might purchase them again if I see it on sale in the future.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I think my trial of Transino Skincare has been a success. I've noticed overall improvement in the tone of my skin - my overall skin-tone is more even and brighter. My sun spots have lightened up ever so lightly. I consider it a success since sun spots are one of the hardest issues to fix from skincare alone. It's also pretty hard for me to find hypoallergenic and fragrance-free skincare that doesn't break me out in the long-run, so I'm happy to have discovered this line.

If you're interested in trying Transino skincare, I recommend purchasing them from Amazon Japan. The pricing for this line is mid-range, and if you shop frequently on Amazon Japan, you can earn points to be applied to future purchases. As for the White C Clear, since it's a supplement, you can't get it directly on Amazon Japan. I purchased mine from an old favorite asian beauty site of mine - Adambeauty.com.

(2024 edit: Adambeauty has shut down. Japanesetaste.com is another great website to purchase Transino products.)

Sezane Outfit Breakdown

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 19:00:00 +0000

Recently I've been inspired to create outfit of the day looks, as we're all in lockdown with nowhere to go.

For this post, I'm providing a more detailed breakdown of the looks posted on my instagram. Most of the pieces are from Sézane. They're one of my favorite brands since 2016 - I find they have beautifully crafted designs & quality pieces that I can't find anywhere else. I'm thinking about doing a more in-depth post about the brand in the future. For now, check out below & feel free to ask any questions.

My specs are:

5'5"
Size 2-4 (In Sezane sizing usually Size 36 for tops & bottoms)

Outfit 1

Top: Olric Jumper in Pale Pink

Bottoms: Raphaelle Skirt

Belt: Fetiche Belt in Brown Teju

Bag: APC demi-lune bag in embossed leather

Outfit 2

Dress: Justine Dress

Belt: Louve Belt in Camel

Earrings: Charlie-inspired mustard earrings

Outfit 3

Top: Abelia Top Winter Garden Print

Bottoms: Madewell Tapered Jeans in Paulsen Wash

Belt: Ombeline Belt in Ebony

Bag: Victor Bag in Heritage Chocolate

Outfit 4

Jacket: Will Jacket in Indigo col Mouton

Top: Abriel Jumper

Bottoms: 7forallmankind ankle skinny with side slit

Belt: Artemis Belt in Camel

Outfit 5

Top: Barry Sweater in Grey

Bottom: Nelly skirt in jardin d'hiver

Belt: Artemis Belt in Camel

Bag: Victor Bag in Heritage Chocolate

SUQQU WATERY PROTECTOR REVIEW

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 10 Jan 2021 22:20:00 +0000

For the past 2 years, I've been going foundation free. I mainly wear a good base/sunscreen & concealer. My favorite base was the Chanel Le Blanc Light Creator Brightening Base in Rose. Sadly, it appears they no longer sell it within the U.S. It was really hard to find this base online without paying an arm & leg for it, so I decided to look into other options.

I found the SUQQU Watery Protector in SPF 30. What caught my eye about the base is the coral-pink veil for a brightening effect. In a base, I always look for a brightening factor to help correct any uneven tones on the face. While this base doesn't color-correct as strongly as the Chanel base, it provides a more natural glowy brightening effect.

Before & After

I also find the base much lighter and moisturizing than the Chanel base. I believe this is due to the rose extract, hyaluronic acid & collagen in the product. In the picture above, it gives a pearly sheen on my hand, but in real life that pearly sheen comes off more as a glow. It's truly a lightweight and moisturizing base!

Lastly, I love that it has SPF 30 protection. I usually have problems with SPF in products, as I have a tendency to break out from them. I don't experience this issue with the SUQQU Watery Protector, so this product gets a thumbs up with me. It's has been great for daily wear, alongside the Anessa Perfect UV sunscreen.

My Favorite Smoothie Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 28 Dec 2020 23:57:00 +0000

I don't think there is one person I know, who wouldn't say 2020 was a complete shit show of a year. Despite the incredibly difficult year, it has given me some time to reflect and focus on what's important. One of which is my physical health. I had completely de-prioritized my physical well-being, not fully realizing the huge impact it has on my overall well-being.

So, one of the positives of 2020 was re-prioritizing my physical health. :) What did that mean? It meant taking at least 5 minutes a day out of my day, no matter how tired I am, to stretch or meditate. It also meant to adjust my diet - to understand the impact of what I put in my body. And overall to have better awareness of my body, as a body in poor health can have impact on all aspects of one's life.

As the year reaches to an end, I'd like to share with you one of my favorite smoothie recipes as a brighter note. It's super easy-to-make and delicious.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of Siggi's Plain Non-fat drinkable Yogurt
1 banana
1 tsp of blueberry powder
1.5 tsp of acai powder

Blend it all together until smooth and enjoy!

If you try it, let me know what you think. ;) Adieu,

Kanebo Freeplus Moisture Soap Review

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 12 Aug 2018 23:48:00 +0000

I picked up the Freeplus Moisture Soap face wash from my Japan Trip back in April. I've been wanting to try Freeplus for ages, but never pulled the trigger due to the mark-up on the products online.

Freeplus has intrigued me in particular because this line is a low-irritant skin care brand for people with sensitive skin. They focus on using herbal extracts that protect your skin from environmental irritants and preserve moisture. Most of their products are free from alcohol, fragrance and parabens.

Packaging

The mild moisture soap contains these plant extract compounds: Jujube Fruit Extract, Mandarin peel Extract, Peach Seed Extract, Pearl Seed Extract and Licorice Leaf Extract.

The soap is actually a foam pump face wash. I've been using this for the last three months and one pump is more than enough to wash your entire face. The foam comes out non-fragranced yet light and bouncy. When applied onto my face, it feels like a warm bouncy blanket of foam has enveloped my face. After washing it off, my face is clean but never tight nor dry. It's an extremely gentle product and I highly recommend it.

The Foam

As an introductory product, the mild moisture soap has inspired me to get more products from Freeplus. I've always had incredibly sensitive combination skin, and with additional stress, I've been breaking out in places on my face I never knew was possible. I've been testing out if gentler products will improve my skin. I've snagged the Whitening Essence in Japan as well, but online I've bought the Mild Soap A, Moist Emulsion 2, and the Moist Care Cream from Amazon Japan. I've started using the Moisture Emulsion as my nightly moisturizer. When I've finished using all the products, I'll do a longer review on the Freeplus Moisture Range. :)

Travel Diary: Osaka

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 01 Jul 2018 06:00:00 +0000

During my trip to Japan in May, Osaka was our home base. We stayed there for all five nights of our trip. I didn't get to see all of Osaka's attractions during my stay there, but I was able to enjoy the culture, shopping, and visit some everyday attractions during my stay there. This post will be more review focused about the places I got to see.

On the way to the city

On the first day from the airport, we took the airport limousine bus to Osaka Station. We then took a short taxi ride directly to our hotel due to our luggage. On our last day, after we've figured out how to get around, we took a Hankyu railway back to Osaka station.

Juso Station

Child butt Statue lol

(If anyone knows the significance of this please let me know! I couldn't find anything about it online)

Living

Hotel: When researching places to stay, we wanted to be in a quieter location, but still close to a transit station. We stayed near the Juso Station in a hotel called Minn. It's only a 3 minute walk from the station - very convenient to us indeed. The hotel is in a generally safe neighborhood; it's next to some night clubs (not noisy) and if you walk to the hotel at night there are men loitering around the hotel. They won't bother you though, I think they're there to lure men into the clubs.

The hotel has suite-style rooms and we stayed in the family suite style room. It fits up to 6 people ( 4 beds & a large sleeper sofa). The amenities were standard, but there are things like a washer available. In general. the room was clean and comfortable. There's also no housekeeping unless you request it.

One thing to note is the front desk doesn't allow you to store luggage at their front desk due to lack of space. The room looks exactly like the Travelocity photo below:

Travelocity Photo

Our messy last day photo lol

Even though it's an insignificant thing, I have to say I really like standard Japanese bathrooms. There's two rooms, one with the sink and the other with the shower and the tub. The shower is separate from the tub, so you can soak in afterwards. I just found it practical and neat.

Food

Wagyu Beef: After our day trip to Mt. Yoshino, we went to Dotonburi to find dinner. My friend recommended us to try Yakiniku M for their Matsusaka Beef. We didn't know there were actually two locations, and were lucky the Dotonburi location had room for a walk-in.

Location is on the 2nd floor

Front Entrance

One of my goals being in Japan was definitely to try Wagyu Beef. I've only heard of Kobe beef and wasn't aware there were different grades of wagyu beef. Matsusaka beef is one of the top three types of Wagyu Beef, and the beef is one of the softest and most marbled. The cows also fed beer and given body massages with Shochu, a type of Japanese sake. Matsusaka beef is strictly regulated to keep it's high standards in the quality of the beef distributed.

Our server was multi-lingual and spoke Cantonese with us! He walked us through what we should try. We ended up choosing the Special Course at ￥5,800 per person, and it was so worth it. My favorite was the short rib. This was definitely one of my favorite meals of the trip. You can find more information about the restaurant here.

Assorted Appetizers

Marbled Beef Sushi

Beef Parts

Just a side note we didn't eat the beef raw besides the beef sushi. The meat is cooked over a grill, hence "Yakiniku). I didn't take pictures of the salad, garlic rice, or the dessert, but all were still super yummy!

Tempura Makino: We stumbled upon Tempura Makino (Umeda Store) after a long day of shopping in the area. I later found out it's one of the best & cheapest places to get fresh tempura in Osaka. There was a line but the wait was short. They have set menus, and I chose the Spring Mebuki Set with Asari Clam Soup. It was a 6 menu item for only 1580 yen!!!

Menu Front

Menu Back

All tempura items were served to us freshly fried and by piece meal. The tempura was so light and tasty! The soup was also delicious (might be biased because clam is one of my favorite foods).

Rikuro Ojisan: Rikuro's sells Japanese Cheesecakes, which are very different from regular cheesecakes. The cheesecakes are light and fluffy, and have "bounce" to them. You've probably seen some videos or pictures online of "jiggling" cheesecakes - these are one of them! Each cheesecake is have raisins at the bottom and sell for 675 yen each. I had two of them during my trip there, and with each bite, the cheesecake practically melts in your mouth. They have stops all over Osaka, but I recommend going early or closer to closing time because there is always a line.

Stamping of the cheesecake

Fluffy piece of heaven!

Sites

Kuromon Market: Kuromon Market is a giant seafood market with a variety of stalls, not limited to seafood, but also vegetables, fruit, meat, etc. Most of the vendors prepare and serve food to you on the spot.

Inside Kuromon Market

The market consists of two streets that intersect into a cross-shape. We had lunch at Kuromon Senpai, one of the more popular spots. They have seating on the side for people to eat, and it's also known for it's fatty tuna. I think they were out of the fatty tuna, but we still a feast of shrimp, sashimi, fresh uni, unagi, and clam.

Our Kuromon Senpai Feast

Melon & Strawberry Juice

We were at the market around noon-time and it was packed. The main tip I would give is if you buy anything to eat immediately, eat it in front of the stall so you can throw away your trash then and there. I committed a tourist faux-pas, but do not throw your trash in another vendors trash bin - they don't take kindly to it at all.

Dotonburi: Dotonburi is one of Osaka's top tourist attractions. It's the downtown area of Osaka city, and Dotonburi River flows north of the downtown area. The "Doton" comes from a merchant named Doton Yasui and the "Buri" refers to construction of the canal he began.

Dotonburi is packed with restaurants, entertainment, and shopping. Some landmarks include the Gilco Man Billboard sign and the Kani Doraku Sign. In general, Dotonburi has a lot of stand-out restaurant signs throughout the district.

Dotonburi Sign

Dotonburi Canal

On the Dotonburi Bridge

Glica Running Man

Canal Closeup

Underneath the Dotonburi Bridge

One of the things I took away from staying in Osaka and this trip in general is that Japan is jam-packed of things to do. I definitely felt I could have stayed a couple more days in Osaka. If you're looking to being able to experience not just the culture but also lifestyle, I would tack on a couple more days to your trip.

To prevent this post from getting too long, I'll be ending it here! I'll be updating it later with some shopping areas I went too, with just description and what you can find there! Finding specific places was definitely one of the harder things to do; and I'd love to share some of the gems I've found along the way.

Travel Diary: Yoshino-yama

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 27 May 2018 09:27:00 +0000

Back in April, I traveled to Osaka for a six day vacation. It's my first time in the Kansai region, and on our very first day we decided to chase what was left of the lingering cherry blossom season at Mt. Yoshino (吉野山, Yoshino-yama).

View from Yoshimizu Shrine

Mt. Yoshino is in the Nara Prefecture, and about a 75 minute train ride from Osaka IF you take the Kintetsu Railway's Limited Express Train from Osaka Abenobashi Station. I say if because we learnt hard way, and took the JR from Osaka Tennoji station and ended up doing multiple transfers - taking us more than 2 hours to get there.

We found out after we reached Yoshino station there was a Limited Express train available. So moral of the story - do all your research before you head out for a day trip in Japan! During my entire trip there I would say we finally felt comfortable navigating the transportation on our last two days - it's seriously confusing.

We decided to go to Mt. Yoshino because it's one of Japan's most popular Cherry Blossom viewing locations. The mountain has thousands of cherry blossom trees along the journey up the mountain. Personally I found Mt. Yoshino very walkable after departing Yoshino station, as there is a walking path as you ascend the mountain. There are four areas, and the furthest we made it to was the second area - the middle section Naka Senbon - spending approximately 4-5 hours there.

As you walk up the path there are many sites to see along the way. Right outside the station, there's a multitude of stands selling goods and a small restaurant that serves vegetable based dishes. Normally there is a ropeway you can take up the slope, but it was closed the day we went. They offered buses up to the middle section if you don't feel like walking.

Cherry Blossoms along the path up

There definitely weren't too many cherry blossoms left the day (April 9th) we were there. However, the forests in the Nara Prefecture are definitely something to experience. The trees there are absolutely beautiful and have a wide range of colors. Once you hit the town there are less trees upclose but you can catch some good views along the way.

entering the base of Yoshino town

One of the shop fronts

The town itself is small but cute - it's sprinkled with traditional-styled houses and shops with goodies specific to the town and the prefecture. Unfortunately, I didn't get too many pictures of the shops but they have quite a bit of shops selling pickled vegetables, honey, and sakura flavored items. I found the people there to be friendly and good-natured. I didn't pick up the name of this store, but if you're interested in honey and picked vegetables, I recommend purchasing from the shop to the left of to a tea shop called TSUJIMURA&Cafe kiton. The shop appears to be family owned, and the workers were friendly and humorous. As for the tea shop, I picked up some really good hojicha and sencha for about 800 yen each.

Soybean Ice Cream

Agedashi Tofu

Hamburger Sampler

"Hamburger" Meal set at Tofu Chaya Hayashi

For lunch we ate at a tofu house, Tofu Chaya Hayashi. All their food items had a tofu base, and my favorites were the soybean ice cream and hamburger meal set. The hamburger really tasted meat-like and was super savory. Also I believe fresh meat seems hard to come by in the area; alot of the restaurants in the town were vegetarian. I did see a couple preserved sushi stands, which further confirms my belief that meat is a bit harder to find in the area.

Entrance to the Kinpusenji Temple

Zao-do Hall

Close-up of the hall (I like zooming into building details)

3 story pagoda

As for sight-seeing, we saw Kinpusenji Temple along our way. The temple is part of the Shugendō religion that is said to combine Shinto and Buddhist beliefs. Zao-do hall is part of the temple, and is the second largest wooden structure compared to Tōdai-ji in Nara. However, I also saw Tōdai-ji later in my trip, and had no idea about the Zao-do hall until afterwards because Tōdai-ji was honestly monumental. The temple also has a three-story pagoda behind the hall. You can have a nice little stroll, and see some interesting figurines in display. Coincidentally I also saw the biggest bugs I've ever seen too haha!

View from Yoshimizu Shrine (Imagine it covered with cherry blossoms!)

Lastly, we stopped by Yoshimizu Shrine. It's a great viewpoint to capture the forest at it's potential, especially during Cherry Blossom season. The first picture of this post is a untouched photo from the view. P.S.- just google some pictures of the view and you'll see what I mean!.

The shrine is dedicated to Emperor Go-daigo; I believe he temporarily lived there because there's a couple signs about the ponds and certain things in the shrine relating to him and the imperial family.

After the shrine we made our way back down as the sun was setting and the shops were closing. I really enjoyed Mt. Yoshino, and would love to make the trek back here again to catch the Cherry Blossoms at their full glory. I end this post with more cherry blossoms I captured during this day-trip!

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Travel Diary: Paris - Day 3 + 4

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 23 Apr 2018 05:37:00 +0000

On my third day in Paris, I woke bright and early to go to Bois de Vicennes - a public park on the outskirts of east Paris. I had seen some picture of the Ile de Reuilly online and knew I had to make a stop there. I took the metro there and it took me about 45-50 minutes to get there.

When I arrived, I decided to grab some brunch first. I found a small cafe called La Place and order the salmon filet with a side of grapefruit juice. I love grapefruit juice and pretty much ordered it overtime I ate in Paris - AND it was always on the menu! I was also so surprised the meal was only around $12 total, which was a huge price change to my meals in Passy.

Salmon Filet =)

After brunch I made my way to the park, and stumbled across Chateau de Vicennes along the way. It's a giant 14th + 17th century royal fortress and it was very impressive. You can get inside the fortress for free to take a look.

From the side

Inside the fortress

One of the structures inside the fortress

I then headed to the park, which did I mention is huge by the way? It has four lakes and the Ile de Reuilly was near the 12ha Lac Daumesnil. I got lost for about 40 minutes before finding my way.

One of the park paths

When I finally found it I was so happy! The structure is on an island and it looked scenic from all angles. Underneath the main structure, there are actually some small caves you can walk through. Below are all unedited photos. Overall, I spent another hour there walking around and playing some Pokemon Go haha!

Caves underneath the structure

After the park, I decided to check out the Eiffel Tower. I totally forgot it was the weekend and didn't take into account the crowds. I got up until the bridge on one end and decided I couldn't go any further - there was just way too many people. I'm not sure if it's always like this, but I highly recommend to not go during the weekend.

En Route

View at sunset walking back towards to my airbnb

The next and final day I decided to go to the Arc de Triomphe and check out Champs Elysees. I walked there and discovered a cute Parisian brand, Des Petits Hauts. I've been obsessed ever since and ending up buying a cute leather pouch there. Anyways, at the arc, I didn't go down but viewed the monument along the side.

Details of the Arc

Since that didn't take much time, I went to Laduree to have lunch. I ordered the Sea Bass with pink mushrooms and was pleasantly surprised. Unfortunately, I got suckered into forgetting to say 'tap water' when I asked for water and got served an pricy glass bottle of Evian - lesson learned! For dessert, I ordered a Pistachio Creamed Puff Pastry, which was delicious. I definitely recommend coming here just for fun!

Sea Bass with pink mushrooms

Pistachio Cream Puff Pastry

After lunch, I headed straight to Sezane, a Parsian online brand, that fashions itself as the first online based brand. It has quite a strong following; loyal fans of the brand wait online to purchase their favorite items with each release. I've been eyeing a bag there for a bit and was so happy to be able to purchase it there! The store has a line outside and you have to wait bit to get in - unless you have a return or something.

Store Front

A service they also offer in the store is monogramming on the bags for free. I ended up doing that to add a personal touch.

OOTD with the new Oxford Bag

To end the afternoon, I went to try Angelina's and their famed hot chocolate. The consistency was very thick and creamy. It was delicious but a bit much for me. I also ordered a raspberry sorbet on the side which was lovely.

Because I had to catch a very early flight the next day, I retired to my room early. One of my favorite things to watch at night from my room was the eiffel tower lighting up every night.

My first trip to Paris was definitely an eye-opening one. I still think Paris still has many charms to it that I have yet to discover. I really didn't expect to get so sucked into shopping there, but I'm converted. One thing I learnt about myself during this trip was that the older I get the less I enjoy crowds. I definitely want to visit more of France in the future; I think the country side would be perfect.

Bourjois Rouge Laque Liquid Lipstick Review

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 02 Jan 2018 05:02:00 +0000

Bonjour world!

Starting off the new year with a liquid lipstick review! I've purchased a six shades of the Bourjois Rouge Laque Liquid Lipstick recently and have been in love since. This liquid lipstick promises "Lightweight and long-lasting, get intense, stunning colour and non-sticky shine that lasts up to 16 hours." It's honestly different from any other liquid lipstick I've tried before; most liquid lipsticks dry my lips out, but these are glossy and moisturizing. They're also pretty pigmented and give my lips an intense pop of color.

From Left to Right: Majes'Pink, Toute Nude, Self Peach, Red to Toes, Frambroiselle, Bloody Berry

So far I've tried and alternated between five shades daily. The pictures don't show it entirely, but the lipsticks are more vibrant in real life. I also think their 16hr claim is really only for someone that doesn't touch their lips all day. Some of colors do indeed leave a nice stain afterwards (like Bloody Berry and Frambroiselle), but others like Majes'Pink & Toute Nude wipe away completely after a meal.

Top Left: Frambroiselle, Top Right: Majes'Pink, Bottom Left: Toute Nude, Bottom Right: Bloody Berry

Overall, I like every shade I've tried. Toute nude is a great muted everyday go-to color. Personally I'm more of a red lipstick kind of girl, so Red to Toes and Framboiselle are my favorite daily colors. These two colors are incredibly similar - Red to toes is a true cool red, while Frambroiselle has a hint of pink. The real winner of all these shades is Bloody Berry; it's a great dark rich red - perfect for a night out!

For all you perpetually chapped lips out there, try these if you're looking for moisturizing and glossy color pay-off. Approved ✓

Travel Diary: London

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 26 Dec 2017 18:30:00 +0000

My final destination for my Europe adventure was London. I stayed there for five days. Unfortunately, I got a terrible cold towards the end of it, so there will only be one post on London. During my time there, I stayed at St. George's Hotel near the Wembley Stadium. It's a bit out of the way from London, but it only took about 30 mins each way on the tube? I honestly didn't mind, since me and my friend weren't ones for crowds. There's also the London Design Outlet right next to our hotel, which we made many trips to for food and convenience. Cafe Nero was a daily stop for me =) Their brownies are delicious!

Wembley Stadium from the station

I had flown into Heathrow from Paris. Since I didn't rent any pocket wifi this time, I opted for a taxi service from one of the airport vendors. It was pretty pricy and wouldn't recommend even buying the round trip deal, as you can find something cheaper anyways.

On my first day there, we immediately set forth and went to the main tourist attractions in London. We started off at Piccadilly Circus, and then headed straight to have an English Breakfast for the first time.

Iconic - but literally just a bunch of billboard signs lol

Cute Honey Jar at the breakfast place

We then headed to Westminster Abbey. Afterwards, we walked along the road to see the Big Ben. I was surprised to see how close together things where. Things I thought would take more time, took us less than a day to finish!

Westminster Abbey

St. Margaret's church next to the Abbey

Big Ben

London Eye

After the Big Ben, we headed over to see Buckingham Palace.

In front of the Palace

The Guards

Queen Victoria's Memorial

Throughout Westminster you also see these lamppost with the Chanel logo on it. My friend said that back in the day the Duke of Westminster was in love with Coco Chanel, and put her logo on the lampposts to impress her. I don't think it worked out for him lol but atleast it left a lasting impression?

Chanel Logo on lampposts

After this we went to Chinatown to have some lunch. Chinatown in London is pretty small compared to the ones in the states. It's only a couple small streets big. We had lunch bite at my friend's favorite Jianbing place. I forgot the name, but if you see the sign below, you'll know where when you walk by the shop. The lady that works there is very nice, and since I had it more than 3 times when I was there, she recognized me at the end haha!

Meat bun sign because I forgot to take a pic of the Jian Bing Sign

We then headed to check out the National Gallery. I was surprised to find out it was free! Which is amazing and not something a lot of places do. There was some great art in the gallery, but my favorite takes the cake below!

Inside the gallery

My favorite piece lolol!

Outside the Gallery

Our last stop for the first day was the Moomin Shop! We stopped by the location in Covent Garden. I'm a huge fan of the cartoon since I was a little girl, and ended up buying some themed mugs theres. As a Moomin fan, I was satisfied.

Art at the Moomin Shop

On our second day, we started off late with lunch at Jaime's Italian in Covent Garden. The pasta was a bit undercooked in my opinion.

Pasta Dish at Jamie's

We then went and checked out my friend's former campus at LSE nearby. That's when things turned a note during the trip. I, for one, had caught a nasty cold from not wearing enough layers in Iceland. It finally caught up to me on the second day to London. My friend also ended not feeling well, so during mid-trip to Oxford Street, we basically had to call a cab and head back home. We stayed in for the rest of the day and ordered room service from our hotel. St. George's actually has great food and wasn't badly priced. Plus, we didn't have to tip on our orders either, and the staff their is so friendly. Their risotto was bomb!

Risotto from the Hotel

Sadly, my friend actually had to leave the next day, so I was alone for the remainder of my trip. Determined not to waste any of my time there, I took short day trips for the rest of the three days in order not to miss out. I didn't take much pictures on the remaining days :(

On one of the days, I checked out the Natural History Museum. It was full of kids, but still worth it. The exterior of the museum was beautiful.

The fourth day I checked out Camden Market. I didn't really know how to navigate the market, so the only picture I have from this outing is this tea place I went for lunch. Overall, they have lots of cute stands. I saw one guy had his own hand-crafted Cambridge styled satchels for about 90 pounds. Now that was one item I regretted not buying!

Always with my matcha latte and a smoked salmon sandwich!

The last day I went for a stroll through St. James Park. I was really impressed - it is a very well maintained beautiful public park. Whoever gets to run there every morning is super lucky.

My favorite view of the park

I ended my trip with one final outing to the Jian bing place in Chinatown, along with some Roasted Milk Tea at Chatime (which by the way? Chatime London? A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Chatime USA? Not so much lol). Also, I have to do one more plug for how amazing St. George's hotel is, their cab service to Gatwick was around $60~? The staff was A+ for preparing the ride too. Would definitely stay there again.

Although I didn't quite have the London experience I was looking for, I really enjoyed London during my time there. I felt very comfortable there and it was extremely easy to navigate. I'll be back next time to check out a lot more places like Brighton, Cardiff, and Bath in the future. Thanks for making a lasting impression on me London. :)

Tip: Since this was my first Europe trip, I learnt if you travel within Europe, you can only apply for your VAT refund at your final destination. Most items you can get an instant refund, but some items require mail-in. My LV purchase in Paris didn't process for a couple weeks, but it worked out alright.

Travel Diary: Paris - Day 1 + 2

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 19 Dec 2017 03:49:00 +0000

Paris has always been one of my top destinations to travel to. I have to admit growing up I had a romanticized view of the city through photography and pop culture. When I had the chance to go at a great deal from Iceland, I definitely couldn't say no. So I found myself flying into Orly after my trip to Iceland last October.

Researching were to stay in Paris was fairly easy; I wanted to stay close, but not too far to the main tourist attractions. And a place that doesn't require too many transfers through public transportation. I ended up finding a cute room near Avenue Victor Hugo station in the Passy area on Airbnb. I highly recommend staying in that area as it was quiet, yet just a bit touristy. It was also walking distance to the Arc de Triomphe and very easy to get to the places I wanted.

I was extremely nervous going to Paris alone, as it was the first time I've traveled in a foreign country by myself without speaking the language fluently. All I had with me was a year of French taken in college. My concerns quickly came to an end as I had rented pocket-wifi from Travel Wifi through the info booth at the ORLY airport. I had access to google maps the entire trip, which definitely helped calm my nerves.

Night view from my room

I arrived late afternoon and decided to ease my way in by exploring the neighborhood for the rest of the day. So the first thing I did was to stop at a French pharmacy down the street. I was so excited, I immediately bought some Nuxe products because it was sooooo cheap. At that moment I realized why people come to Paris just to shop. :D

I did have some self-control though as I went to three other pharmacies that day, but patience is definitely a virtue, because the pharmacy within the Passy Plaza had the best deals. so Ooopsies! on not being patient with purchases.

Passy Neighborhood

I also found a Kookai shop along the way - a brand that I've adored since I was I was a teen. It was nice because they were also having a sale at the time and I snagged a lovely checkered blouse for a momento.

By the time I finished shopping about, I went to have dinner. I found a restaurant I wanted to try, but alas reservations only. I ended up eating at the Victor Hugo Cafe, which didn't have a lot of people. Honestly, it wasn't very good which was probably why they didn't have many customers compared to the other restaurants in the area. Still! It was my first meal and here are some food pictures below to commemorate the experience.

So pretty much after dinner, I went bed and prepared for the next day.

Breakfast at a local bakery near my neighborhood

My second day was a day full of museums and site seeing! My first stop was the Louvre - while iconic, I wasn't too impressed overall. They do have a solid selection of art, but if you've ever been to the Metropolitan in NYC, to me, it felt like I've been. What I enjoyed most out of this visit was the the spaces around it like the Tuileries Gardens. Like most places in Paris, I really enjoyed the architecture as I strolled through the city.

Louvre view from inside the museum

After the Louvre, I stopped by the Palais de Tokyo, which is a modern art museum and pretty much one of places on my list I was most looking forward too. I had seen pictures of past exhibitions online and raving reviews. However, this museum was honestly the biggest let down ever. The day I went they didn't have any particular exhibitions going on. Plus, I was off to a bad start when I got screamed at by the ticket checker for not understanding what he said when he went to check my ticket. Fine, I thought, off to a bad start but wasn't going to let me down.

I definitely felt like this museum doesn't have a particular order you have to start with, but after you get in you definitely know where the main exhibition is due to the massively long line of people waiting. I also forgot to mention all the exhibitions I saw at the time were visual.

Discouraged by the long line, I stumbled upon a smaller second exhibition, which had two people like on the flooring - singing a song in french -as a crowd of people watched them. At about 10 minutes they got up and left towards another part of the museum. Being extremely confused, I decided not to follow.

I then went back to the main exhibition and waited in line. This turned out to be the best part of the museum, because it was an interactive exhibition. It starts off with an individual getting paired with a child that asks you what you think progress is. It switches up a couple of times to a teenager, middle aged adult, and a senior, whom take the conversation from where it left off at the meeting points. Along the way, you walk through the museum, which had only big white blank walls.

After the main exhibition, you walk into a barren stripped down section of the museum where there is a whole crowd of people chanting things in french. As a bystander you can go through the crowd as you wish. I even saw a young student chilling along the wall while lying down. Because my french isn't very good, I had no idea what was going on and basically left due to feeling confused.

I walked right into the museum's bookstore. To hide my disappoint with the museum overall, I bought cute postcards so I wouldn't feel pissed about spending 12 euros to get admitted. I have to say that day, my biggest regret was not going to Museum d'Orsay nearby.

Notre Dame

For the rest of the day, I decided to stay positive and visit the Notre Dame Cathedral and do more shopping. At the cathedral, I encountered the gypsy scammers you always here about. One of them asked me if I wanted to sign a petition, but I stood there curt and said no. Throughout my trip I also kept my bag in front and didn't have a problem. Honestly, I think as long as you're smart about your surroundings, you won't really have a problem.

Plaza near Louis Vuitton Maison Vendome

Bone Marrow and Steak Tartare

After the church, I walked around the 1st Arr. again and then went back to Passy to grab some dinner at Le Petit Retro. The food there was better than the first night and the restaurant had was impressively decorated with retro themed items. The beef tartare was good, but the bone marrow was a little too greasy for me.

So that brings me to the end of my first two days. If you've finished reading to the end and sense that I haven't been too impressed with Paris so far, please note this was only my experience! Furthermore, in my next post you'll read about the following day, where I actually had the best time during my Paris trip!

Au revoir till next time,

Travel Diary: Solar Eclipse Viewing in Albany, Oregon

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 04 Sep 2017 07:05:00 +0000

About two weeks ago me and a couple friends decided to catch the solar eclipse up in Oregon. It was a last minute road trip, so we pretty much planned things out last minute. We left from the Bay Area around noon on Sunday the 20th and drove up six hours to Grant's Pass, Oregon. Our original plan was to drive further up to Coravlis, but everything was booked solid from Airbnbs to hotels.

On the way up north, we drove past a couple sites that I haven't heard of - I've actually never drove up further than Napa, California before. We made a quick pit stop at Lake Shasta which had a dam, you could view.

The dam

There wasn't much going on at the lake but it was quite idyllic. After passing the lake, about another 1/2 hour drive we reached Mount Shasta. It's a volcanic mountain with a couple of glaciers on there, and it's also a popular skiing spot when there is more snow.

After this we didn't make any stops until we reached Ashland, Oregon. The only other interesting thing along the way was we stopped by a city called Weed, and it had a big banner advertising to buy "I heart Weed" shirts along with a "Weed welcomes you back" sign. lol

In Ashland we stopped to have dinner at a restaurant called Hearsay - it was a funky little restaurant with some risqué 20s themed paintings on the wall. The food was also pretty yummy, especially after driving for 5 hours.

Buddha Bowl

Bone Marrow

Tri-tip Steak Wedge Salad.

After dinner we made our final pitstop for the night at Grants Pass. My friend found a cute family owned inn called Buona Sera Inn. We weren't expecting much but were really surprised. He booked a two bedroom, and although small it came with a living room and a dining and kitchen area. Our rooms had a french country style, with quirky decorations and random french paintings. It was also extremely clean and had a nice homely feel. I normally do not fall asleep easily in new places, but went to bed fine here. The only sad thing was we only stayed here for about 5 hours before we woke up at around 4am to drive further up north!

On our early morning journey, we grabbed Dutch Bros Coffee - they had a stand that was open 24/7. Apparently Grants Pass is also the birth place of Dutch Bros! The friendly employees at 4am definitely perked us up. After this, I passed out in the car until we reached Albany, Oregon. We chose this spot to watch the eclipse, so that we could easily get onto the 5 right afterwards.

We found a park called Waverly Lake where we setup shop to view the eclipse. The eclipse started around 9:00am and ended around 11:17am. For the first hour and a half I would say nothing really happened. You really needed eclipse glasses to see anything at all. With the glasses you could slowly see the moon covering the sun.

My collage of the Eclipse

I took most of my photos with the eclipse glasses infront of my iPhone; I didn't have a solar filter for my camera, but the end results were still worth it.

As it begin reaching totality, you could feel the weather getting chiller and a dimness that was different from a sunrise or sunset. It legitimately felt like something was covering the sun; which was eery and cool at the same time.

Waverly Lake

When it finally reached totality, you could take off your glasses and look directly at the sun. It look exactly as the professional photos you see online. It was pretty cool to see, and lasted less than too minutes. The photo below is my photo of the totality. It's not the best shot, as it was cooler in person but still worth the experience. You'll notice on the bottom left corner, a white dot, which was a large bright star, that became more visible as it reached totality. I believe it might have been a planet, but I'm not 100% sure.

We left five minutes after the end of totality and the 5 was already packed! We saw tons of people camped out in the most random places to view the eclipse, like in a Kohl's parking lot. It took us 12 hours to get home! This was definitely the shortest road trip I've ever taken, but definitely worth the experience. After all, the next American one won't be around until 2024.

Travel Diary - Day 4 + 5: South Coast Tour + Blue Lagoon

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 23 Apr 2017 21:00:00 +0000

The fourth day of the trip was the windiest and the rainiest of them all. We had our South Coast tour with GeoIceland that day. They are a smaller tour company, and they took about 10 of us around the South Coast in a mini-bus. Our tour guide was a local named Oscar, who was very well versed and entertaining throughout the tour. We didn't get to hit all our stops, but we did see some of the main attractions!

Before the tour, we grabbed more TE & KAFFI. :)

A Reykjavik Street in the early morning

On the way to the first stop, we stopped to see the strong winds blows smaller waterfalls sideways. It looked like smoke from afar.

First stop was Seljalandsfoss, one of the best known waterfalls in Iceland. It has an open cave right under the waterfall. To the right of it, you can actually climb stairs to the top. Since it was super rainy we just decided to walk underneath the fall.

The lighting was bad underneath the fall, so I didn't get too many good shots of there.

Afterwards we headed to the Black Sand Beach in Vik. It was sprinkling when we got there, but incredibly windy. There was also a fashion shoot going on up against the wall - odd day for a fashion shoot imo.

The coolest part about the beach was the basalt columns. They are all naturally formed and made for a cool photo op.

Behind the columns, there are basalt sea stacks called Reynisdrangar. There is a legend behind these formations that involve trolls. We tried to get closer to the formations but the tide was high. The most notable fomation, my friend endearingly named one of them Penis rock due its interesting shape.

The windiness and the rain actually made the beach look cooler. The contrast of the sky and land was a stark black & white contrast.

Our third stop was Mýrdalsjökull glacier. It's the fourth largest glacier in Iceland. We walked the path that led to the edge of the glacier, and it was quite impressive to see in person. It was my first glacier and the enormity of it really surprised me. Before this, I never knew people tracked glaciers so closely before. Apparently this one covers one of their active volcanoes Katia.

We stopped at one more waterfall, but it wasn't memorable enough to blog about. Overall I would say the tour was great for what it was, but personally I would not go on a tour again. I think I prefer figuring out landmarks on my own, and visiting them at my own pace. We spent a max of 20 mins at one of our stops during this tour. However, if you do want to do tours, I would recommend checking out Geo Iceland as they are a more intimate tour company since they are smaller.

The next day, our final day :(, we decided to relax by checking the Blue Lagoon. It's a geothermal spa and is one of Iceland's most famous attractions. This was definitely the most touristy spot we went to - still worth it though!

For our last breakfast we decided to try Prikid, which claims to be Iceland's oldest restaurant. They had diner style food and I honestly wasn't impressed. The portions are huge but everything was very bland.

Funny sign on the way back

It was about an hour ride to the blue lagoon. Reykjavik Excursions has a roundtrip bus fare that you can book to and from your hostel. You also have the option to stop by before or after your flights.

Once we arrived, there is a small path that leads to the main entrance. You can see the thermal water along the pathway.

FYI, we brought our tickets ahead of time. It's recommended you do, as you may be denied entry if it gets too full! We got the comfort package, which came with an extra face mask, a drink, and a towel. Once inside they give you a key for your locker. You then go get changed and they have racks right outside the water to hang clothes and such.

The waters were super warm and you can go in towards the heart of the waters, where it gets super hot. The waters naturally contain sulfur and silica, and while it's good for your skin, it's very drying to your hair. I recommend putting your hair up and slathering it with conditioner.

Honestly speaking, you can spend a good half day here. It was just so relaxing and the perfect way to end the trip. There wasn't too many people when we were there which is perfect. If you're looking for less crowds, I have heard there are other natural springs in Iceland you can check out.

This ends my Iceland Travel Diary - I hope I gave some interesting tips and insight. Iceland truly became my favorite destination so far, and I can't wait to go back in the future.

Travel Diary: Iceland Day 3 - Gjáin

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 23 Apr 2017 06:08:00 +0000

For the third day, my friends and I used the Lonely Planet Iceland Guide to decide on where to check out next. We wanted to chose a place that was close enough to spend a couple hours at and then head back to Reykjavik. Gjain caught our eye - it's a small valley with waterfalls, caves and ponds. Plus they said a Game of Thrones scene was filmed there, so we had to go!

We headed out bright and early at 9am from KEX hostel, where one of my friends was staying. Before that we stopped for some yummy lattes at Te & Kaffi (literally translates to Tea and Coffee). Anyways, the drive to Gjain from the hostel was 2 hours.

The day we went was pretty rainy, but for some miraculous reason when we arrived the weather cleared up for a good hour or two. We entered near the Stong site - a viking settlement. An important note is there are signs that recommend a 4WD. You do not need one, but a 4WD drive does make your drive MUCH easier. With our regular sedan, it took us an extra 40 minutes from the entrance to reach the Stong Parking Lot. Past the parking lot, you do not want to drive a 2WD as it will damage your car.

We also wanted to visit the Stong settlement, but the path to it wasn't very intuitive, so we proceeded to hike into Gjain. When we initially walked, we followed the river leading into the small valley, but it took us off path so we had to go back and follow the path.

The walk into the small valley was incredibly refreshing and beautiful. You absorb so much nature around as you walk, but it also felt eerie to me. I've never felt anything like this while hiking. The entire time I could see the clear waters from the river, the fresh moss that covered the land, and the beautiful natural structures of the cave.... but I did not see any bugs or wildlife. It felt strange and the scaredy-cat in me would not hike this alone.

At a certain point of the short hike, you climb up rocky hills that over look the small valley. From up top you can see the caves and small stairs that lead into the waterfall. It was awesome, because there was only two other visitors at that time, otherwise we had the place to ourselves!

Unnatural walk on the path :D

All my photos above are unedited :) Later on that night I saw that in the summer, the waterfalls and river are much fuller and the area is much greener. Honestly, I would recommend coming here in the summer out of all the seasons.

We ended the day with dinner at Restó! Apparently Restó is known for their fish. It was the fanciest dinner we had during our time in Iceland. It's a small restaurant, and I would recommend making reservations if you come any later than 6pm.

Grilled Ling with Lobster Tail and Madeira Sauce

Filet of Lamb

Panacotta with raspberry sauce and almond flakes

I had the pan-fried salmon which unfortunately I didn't get good pictures of. It was super delicious and very fresh - I was also a fan of my friend's dishes - snagged a bit of their food above ;D. My favorite was definitely the pancotta. It was beautifully layed out and all the ingredients tasted fresh. I'm not sure what the small berry was but it was also very good. If anyone knows, let me know!

Travel Diary: Iceland Day 2 -Golden Circle Route

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 17 Apr 2017 20:35:00 +0000

By the end of the first day, I ended my day lounging in the hostel couches and trying a variety of Icelandic Snacks due to my jet lag. My favorite snack from the entire trip was actually Icelandic milk - Muu. It tasted creamy and fresh and I drank one atleast once day out of my five day trip.

I also chowed down on Ris Buff - it's a chocolate covered rice puff snack with a creamy marshmallow filling. Eat them with the Muu milk or dipped in Skyr - they were absolutely scrumptious.

Out of the three snacks, I was most excited to try Skyr, which is Icelandic styled yogurt. It's very tart but I enjoy it more than greek yogurt.

My friends came around the next morning, and before we went to rent out a car, we explored a bit more of Reykjavik for food. Our first stop was Lemon - a smoothie, juice, and sandwich place. The juice I got was just a-okay.

Across the street from Lemon is Bonus, one of the best known budget supermarkets in Iceland. I found it pretty interesting they open at around 11am and close pretty early from what I remember. We grabbed some snacks such as sandwiches and then headed out to the famed hot dog stand for lunch.

Bæjarins Beztu Pylsu apparently is one of Reykjavik's best known hot dogs stands. The menu is very limited, you get to choose the hotdog or a drink combo. What separates the hotdogs here is the layer of crispy onion under the dog and sweet mustard. I had two of them and while they were really good, the hype around them is still surprising :D I do recommend trying them as a cheap quick eat, but imo, there was much better food to try.

By the time we finished our hotdogs, it was already around 1 pm. We didn't want to lose time, so we rented a car from Pro Car Rental near our hostels. They were the only ones with cars available on the day of. They don't have the best reviews, but we only needed a regular sedan for two days. If you're planning on doing more heavy driving, and on gravel roads, I highly recommend you book your car in advance, because you'll need it.

We decided to do the golden circle route, but due to the time limits we only managed to see Pingvellir, Gulfoss and the Geysir. The drive into Pingvellir was stunning. A lot of Iceland's land is built from volcanoes, so as you're driving you'll see a lot of volcanic rocks with moss and grass layered all over. It wasn't particularly green but still very beautiful. If I had more time, I would definitely spend a day there trying to hike its routes.

On route we chased a rainbow, and I swear we reached the end of it.

We reached the Geysir soon. There's a huge sign on a building that said Geysir LOL so that's how we know we reached it. Across from the building you can walk on a path that leads to the geysers. It was pretty steamy (no actual hot steam) along the path but still easy to walk through.

The geysir stop is pretty quick, we spent 15 minutes there and then headed to gulfoss. Around then it was around 3pm and the sun was already beginning to set. We headed to our final destination Gulfoss. It's a huge waterfall with a steep plunge. You can walk along a bath to the left of the waterfall, where you can see the plunge up close.

View from the top

Gulfoss was the most majestic site we saw that day, but the highlight of my trip was actually the next day in Gjain. Stay tuned for more...

The Ordinary Serums Review

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 08 Jan 2017 23:01:00 +0000

Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA, Lactic Acid 5% + HA 2%, Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

(Left to Right)

I picked up some serums from the Ordinary back in September and am finally getting around to reviewing them today! I've used a good amount of each product and feel like it's a good time to review them.

I had heard about these serums on Reddit and immediately jumped on purchasing them as I brought all three serums above for around $20. They took two weeks to get to me and I've been told now that they charge for shipping. Nevertheless, the have interesting formulations at very good prices. I also have to admit their marketing for their products got to me. I like the simple packaging and straightforward labeling of all their brand.

Niacinamide Serum

I had been looking for a blemish formula since I ran out of my favorite acne cream. I noticed I've been having good reactions to La Roche Posay's Serozinc and alluring effects of Niacinamide certainly caught my eye.

The formula itself has a gel like consistency. It's on the thicker side for serums but it absorbs pretty quickly into the skin. While this does not replace my usual acne cream, I've noticed it's really helped with oil control of my skin. It's really helped regulate my t-zone and keep it from over producing oils in that area. As a result, I've been getting less clogged pores in my t-zone.

I'll be keeping this guy into my morning and evening routines for sure.

Lactic Acid Serum

I introduced Lactic Acid to my routine a couple years ago with Chella's Lactic Acid Mask and Philosophy's Miracle Worker. I've been suffering from closed comedones, particularly around my forehead, for about 4 years now. Lactic Acid was the first acid I tried that seemed to help bring the CCs down. I had used Lactic Acid as a weekly exfoliator, so the idea of the serum intrigued me.

The Ordinary's Lactic Acid 5% has a fairly strong astringent smell. It was also quite strong so I only used it every three days. As an exfoliator it works slightly better than the ones I've tried before, but I've come to a conclusion that LA is not the right acid for me entirely. I've been having great results using this serum once a week along with the COSrx AHA 7 Whitehead Power Liquid.

Alpha Arbutin Serum

The last serum I got was the Alpha Arbutin Serum. As someone who suffers from CCs and hormonal acne, a treatment that targets hyper pigmentation and spots is pretty important.

This serum also has a gel consistency, but I find it slightly more lightweight in feel than the Niacinamide serum. It's also my least favorite serum out of the three as I feel like it didn't really do anything for spots. However, since it also has HA, it makes a great moisturizing serum. So on days where I feel extra dry, I use this before my nighty moisturizer.

Overall, if you are a skincare junkie like me, I recommend checking The Ordinary's products out! They definitely do work and the affordability for the products just make it all the better.

Travel Diary: Iceland Day 1 - Reykjavik

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 21 Nov 2016 01:36:00 +0000

In early October, I did a five day trip to Iceland and I can honestly say I loved it. I'm looking forward to checking Iceland again during the summer and winter seasons. When I arrived, October was right when off-season began and it was rainy most of the time when I was there. I still got to see a lot despite the shoddy weather.

With these travel diary entries, I hope to share the things I enjoyed during my tips, tips and tricks, and amazing pictures of course!

Now to begin...

I had booked my journey three months ahead of time with WOW air. If you come with an understanding that it's a budget airline, meals/snacks & entertainment prepared, it isn't bad. The flight out from SFO was around 8 hours and I arrived around 4:00am in the morning to Reykjavik. Their airport is pretty small but modern, and easy to navigate. I found my bus ride in the arrivals pretty easily. I booked my ride to the city through Flybus in advance, but since the Flybus and Grayline run 24/7, it wasn't necessary upon arrival. My roundtrip tickets up for around $46.

The bus dropped me right off of my hostel, Hlemmur Square, where I snoozed and prepared for a day ahead in Reykjavik. I had arrived a day before my friends, so I took the opportunity to get to the know the capital. A bit more about my hostel, Hlemmur Square - it also doubles up as a hotel and it was a place my friend had recommended to me. I haven't stayed in many hostels, but I thought it was decent. They had extremely comfortable beds, but the common areas were a bit gross. House cleaning comes by once a day so it does keep the messiness to a minimum. I recommend this place if you are looking for cheaper accommodations, as Iceland was pricier than I was expecting overall.

My first stop the next morning was to grab lunch. I went to Old Iceland Restaurant on Lauvegur Street. ( Lauvegur is one of the main streets in Reykjavik, so you'll find most of your stops here if you keep walking.) Old Iceland Restaurant is one of the most popular restaurants in Reykjavik. Side note: Considering how small the capital is you'll probably get to eat at all your popular restaurants within a couple days ha.

The interior for the restaurant is warm and cozy and decorated with pictures of animals like this ram above. I'm very glad I got to eat here my first day because when I went back for dinner on my last night, they were packed and they don't allow you to wait when it's full. Basically it's first come first serve with no lines allowed.

Old Iceland Restaurant describes itself as a family owned restaurant that only using local meats and produce. Both me and my hostel roommate ordered fish dishes. He had the Fillet of Cod (with Angelica, garlic, carrots, mashed potatoes, and root vegetables), while I had Oven Baked Ling (with Parsnip, sundries tomatoes, potatoes, and veggies).

While the presentation was certainly modern and the fish was fresh and delicious, I can't say I enjoyed the parsnips with my ling, so I brushed that aside while I ate. My roommate devoured his cod, so I'm pretty sure that is a sign that it was awesome :P I also had the Icelandic lamb meat soup there (not pictured). It was very good, but reminded me of chicken soup with lamb meat instead.

After our meal, we headed to Hallgrímskirkja - one of the key landmarks in Reyjavik. It's smack dab in the middle of the city and around a 10 minute walk from Hlemmur Square. The church itself is simple inside, but the winner is architecture outside and taking the $8 ride all the way up to the tower.

Front view of the church

Statue of Leifur Eirikkson

Interior front door of the Church

The very top of the church is a clock tower were you can see 360 views of the city through the windows. You could see all the colors of the buildings and the best I can describe it is it has a very Nordic Feeling.

Top of the Tower

Video :)

After the church we went to grab some coffee at Reykjavik Roasters. Below are some random street shots walking around the city.

Reykjavik Roasters is a small coffee shop known as Iceland's finest independent coffee roasters. I'll have to emphasize here again how small Iceland actually is (2/3 of the population live in Reyjavik)... and in terms of food, drinks etc. the options out of your top picks don't give you much choice. I'm not saying this place was bad, in fact they had damn good coffee - I'm just saying you don't have much of a choice if you're looking for other independent coffee roasters in the city.

The coffee shop had a hipster vibe, which pretty much all of Reykjavik did. I don't know how to describe it. It might be the way people dressed and the emphasis on fresh and local ingredients. Anyways, the shop was warm and cozy and I would recommend checking it out.

With our coffee at hand, we then ventured the Kolaportið flea market. It's pretty much like any other flea market in the world except with icelandic things. Some gems you'll come across are old books, toys and icelandic knits at cheaper priced. However, my favorite part was the food section. They sold a lot of smoked salmon and dried fish here. I absolutely love smoked salmon, so I was pretty much in heaven. I wouldn't say this is a necessary stop during your trip here, but if you have time to kill, this would be another thing to do.

After the flea market we walked to Harpa - a music hall across the street. It's really quite a pretty building with the reflective glass. At night, it even lights up into different colors. They hold concerts, musicals, conferences, and all sorts of arts related events here. If you happen to come when they are holding a festival definitely check it out. I missed the Iceland airwaves festival, which played in the beginning of November. I heard it has a great upcoming musicians playing there.

We headed back to our hostel afterwards and met our new roommate - a lovely australian girl - who joined us for dinner at Prir Frakkar. So Prir Frakkar has an extremely good reputation of serving Iceland's finest foods including the exotic kinds like whale and puffin. Personally, I had no interest in trying the exotic meats, and I actually learnt most Icelandic people do not eat these meats themselves. I ordered the Plokkfiskur and proceeded to have the best meal of my life.

Plokkfiskur with Icelandic Black Bread

Plokkfiskur is hashed fish with bernaise sauce. They served it with a side of hearty Icelandic black bread and veggies. It was honestly so SO GOOD. It made me feel very at home and satisfied. The restaurant itself also has very interesting decor. It's decorated with random trinkets as shown in the pictures below. Tip: We got here right at 6pm without a reservation, but if you come any later, I recommend making a reservation because it got filled out quick.

My day 1 entry ends here. I hope you enjoyed reading about it. Originally I had planned to make much shorter posts, but it ended up being all about the first day. Plus I don't want you to be bored out of your mind, so it's best to leave it up to here for now ;) I'll be writing more about my favorite snacks and more scenic sightseeing in my next posts.