The Backpack Adventures

In this age of social media and hyper inter-connectivity, a trip abroad without an internet connection gives many the feeling of isolation and loneliness.  Such is the case for many travelers in Japan . Being different in climate, culture, and basically, almost all aspects of life, most first-time visitors tend to be shocked that real life doesn't have subtitles (you know what I mean).  Although there are plenty of free WiFi spots in Japan like free public WiFis in major cities, airports, train stations, bus stops, seaports, hotels, cafes, and even Mcdonald's, there are still plenty of "dead spots" in the country, particularly the countryside and the mountainous regions of Japan .  No internet connection does not only mean being cut off from social media life, but it is also an issue if you are unfamiliar with the country as the internet today is also needed for navigation and communication.  Well, if you're one of those travelers and you don't want to re

Introduction It was just last 2018 when we last visited Japan. In just a year, we were blessed to be given another opportunity to revisit the Land of the Rising Sun. Finally! Everyone's ready! Ella will revisit Japan for the 3rd time. For this visit, we'll be staying in Japan for only 7 days. Hence, this would be the shortest Japan Diaries series so far. However, unlike the first two series, this one became extra special as my parents and siblings would be part of it. This would also mark our first travel abroad as a family -something that I have long waited for in my 3 decades of life. So, please join me and my family as we recount the daily accounts of our trips and adventures in this awesome country that I call my second home - Japan .  Day 0   Dec. 18, 2019 Arrival It's my parents' and brother's first time in Japan .  Off to Osaka! This international family trip was actually planned a long time ago. However, due to a lot of facto

A Letter to 2019 Thank you for the 365 days that we've shared together. It was really a memorable one. Unlike last year, I made sure to have at least one trip per month. I made sure that I have plenty of bonding time with my family and my cousins, hence we had a monthly hike to different mountains in the country. Let's look back and see what milestones we've achieved this year. 1.  This year, I was able to publish  77 articles (one article more than last year 😀).  2. I have finally reached 2 million views .  3. Several articles and photographs were published on different Facebook pages. I was also featured in next year's NAVI 2020 Travel Journal . 4. I got to travel back to Singapore with my QSR friends and to Japan with my family. I also got to visit several new destinations in the Philippines this year. Speaking of travels, here are the highlights of my travels for each month last year: January Kilometer 0 Marker [the best place to sta