What you MUST know about SHORYUDO Highway Bus Ticket

SHORYUDO Highway Bus Ticket
If you are travelling between Nagoya, Takayama, Shirakawa-go and Kanazawa, get the 3-day Shoryudo highway bus ticket at 6000 yen and it will save you a great deal (read on people). Alternatively, you can get the 4-day and 5-day pass at 7000 yen and 8000 yen. 

Shoryudo route

Here are some tips that you MUST know before you buy the ticket.

1) Do buy in advance because the tickets are limited. 
For my case, I tried my luck to buy it 2 days before my trip and it was unavailable for my first day in Nagoya. Hence, I couldn't use it for my transfer between Central Japan Airport to Nagoya. I think it would be pretty save if you buy 1 week ahead your trip (for low season). For peak, I guess you have to buy it as early as possible.

2) It's only available online.
Buy it at Japanican website and through travel agent outside of Japan. Here's the link for Japanican.

3) Please check the ticket pick-up point very carefully. 
You will need to collect the physical ticket in person (with your passport) at selected pick-up points in Nagoya. For example, if you are travelling from Tokyo to Takayama (without stopping at Nagoya), it might be impossible for you to pick up the ticket.

3) It does not cover the bus route between Takayama to Shin-Hotaka Ropeway or Okuhida.
I have no idea why I would assume that it covers the journey from Takayama to Okuhida and Shin-Hotaka Ropeway. My mistake, it doesn't. So if you are going to Okuhida or Shin-Hotaka Ropeway from Takayama and it will usually take a whole day, the ticket wouldn't be of any use that day.

4) It does not cover the bus in Shirakawa-go
So I tried my luck and again, the bus driver was not fooled.  I am referring to the bus in Shirakawa-go that takes you to the Shiroyama Viewpoint that costs about 200 yen if I remember correctly.

5) Make advance reservation
For my case, I tried to book for ticket from Takayama to Nagoya a day before, and it's fully booked! (I felt like punching someone). Hence, no choice I had to buy the train ticket instead of utilizing my Shoryudo ticket.

Throughout my trip, I only managed to use the ticket from Nagoya to Takayama *pull hair*. Instead of saving money, I was paying extra!

So, I hope that you've learnt through my mistakes. Happy travelling yo!

Traditional housing in Shirakawa-gō

Foods in Japan!

Paper pot shabu-shabu! It's really amusing that the paper won't get burn or leak

Huge strawberries and it's super duper sweet. 

The freshness and sweetness is incomparable even with those imported strawberries that we get here.

To rest our legs after so much of walking, we love to stop by at the coffee shops.

Green tea latte

Sushis!!!

Why our local sushi chain don't have this?!

Urchins and it's fresh! 

I've tried not-so-fresh urchins and it really taste really horrible. My dream is to eat urchin straight from its shell after catching it from the sea. =)

Local eggplant

Salmon with mayo

Sushi Display

Portuguese Tart

We saw people queuing for the tart so it must be not bad.

Heavenly indeed!

I haven't been to Macau but this is totally different from the ones back in Malaysia

Osaka's retail and restaurants display are super vibrant

A fugu restaurant

No idea what they are trying to sell with this grouchy looking chef

Crab

A Takoyaki stall

Big chunk of octopus for Takoyaki

Takoyaki

A popular noodle chain stall

More to come after this.. :)

Videos of Japan

This is me cooking Fugu (puffer fish) shabu-shabu, the meat is still moving when served!

This is the toilet in our room, it's creepy. see why i said so.

Japanese School Girl Group
And I thought Korea's Girls Generation has too many members. I think the skirt pulling action is kinda funny.


Pedestrians @ Ebisu Bridge
Just taking random videos of the Japanese people
Most people are wearing either black or brown, is this a winter fashion?

How my life has changed

This whole thing started back in 2006 when Roy and me visited Tokyo for holiday..

Japanese people are very shy...The girls are actually very reluctant to take photos with me :P

Roy with a Japanese promoter

It's hard not to be infected with Japanese culture.

Some of the very obvious culture that I've noticed during my visit.

1. A lot of people are on masks.

In 2006, H1N1 is unheard of. So why people are wearing them?? It took us many years later to find out that Japanese wear masks so that they do not infect others with flu. So nice geh.... I feel so ashamed as I was sneezing and coughing like nobody's business back then, inside the train summore =(

2. Everyone has phone strap (s). 

I mean EVERYONE, even ah sums, 90-years-old grannies, atuks and kids.

I have seen one girl in the train who. has. like. HUNDREDS. of them on her phone.

3. Kawaii-ness 

Cute elements can be found almost everywhere in Japan, from big business to corner markets and national government, ward, and town offices. 

Such as this. 

 

A 747 with Pokemon cartoons

 Hello Kitty Parade Balloon

As the consequences,

In just 6 days, that is, enam hari in this land of cuteness...my life has changed..

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I have been been infected with Cuteness & Hello Kitty!!!

 Life is never the same after that.

  

1. I squealed in delight whenever I see Hello Kitty products.

2. I  ♥ everything that is pink - Just started my Pink Cottage FB page

3. I had start reading HK websites/blogs such as:

• Hello Kitty Hell - One Man’s Life With Cute Overload. 

          This is a funny one cause it's literally a HK hate-site done by a man who has a HK fanatic wife.
          It blogs about the weirdest HK stuff that you could never imagined. Ready?

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          Such as this.

Hello Kitty motor oil

Hello Kitty Tattoo.
There is a video of the making of this tattoo which is err..quite interesting.
You have to see it for yourself here.

To be continued...