Zsup~!: accomodation

Showing posts with label accomodation. Show all posts

Of goodness and sheer lousiness

Posted By： Kimberly

Labels: accomodation, Japan 2010, kim, Kyoto | at 1:49 AM

So now we're in Kyoto, and lodged in (yet another) internet cafe... I hadn't blogged about the previous one and planned to, so here's the presentation of both together...

I knew we weren't always going to be able to get as sweet a place as we did in Nagoya, or lovely as the Sendai peeps. But it seems things are swinging to new lows in Kyoto, where I have barely got more ability to access the internet than when I'm wifi-ing on my iPhone.

Grouse 1: So the first computer I had was so lagged out, I ended up changing to another computer. Sadly, the second computer has thus far failed to impress with its especially irritating keyboard (currently being mangled by my very persistent typing), backdated programs (archaic IE, no Firefox, Java mangle that *I* had to update for them) and refusal to upload my photos to Facebook after having stated that it was successful twice.

I recognise, incidentally, that the last could be Facebook's fault. But my travel companion is not facing the same nonsense, so I choose to blame the computer instead.

Grouse 2: Most expensive so far, and all I got was a "free" bath and a really old recliner. This is sad, because I know, Kyoto has a long, traditional history and a very popular tourist area. Still, they could do more about their obvious complacence in at least providing reasonable service for their freaking inflated prices. C'mon. It can't be that tough to give a good chair when charging nearly half extra all the previous places that DID give very excellent sleeping arrangements. *mumbles*

Incidentally, for Kyoto, we are putting up, ONE NIGHT ONLY, in Media Cafe Popeye, located along Kawaramachi Road. Never again. I'd rather go back to sleeping on the cold stone tiles of Forum Ippukudo. At least that didn't dig out my pocket to frustrate me.

And now, to recover my soul, I will point out that the space we had in Yokohama was actually not a bad one, all things considered. We stayed at a DICE outlet, near Shin-Yokohama station. It's not the nearest, but the nearest place charged a bomb for its location. A short walk of 200m provided us with an automatic "discount" of nearly 1k yen on the overnight package price. They charged the cheapest so far, but they had no shower facilities. Then again, it's not like we couldn't get access to that elsewhere (Thank you again, Milton!). However, the computers were reasonably swift, even if we had dodgy USB ports that shook in the casing. And we did manage to sleep quite well in the temperatures set indoors.

What impressed this traveller most, however, was their thoughtfulness in providing sanitary pads in the ladies' toilet. It's quite a nice thing to do, you never know when someone might have forgotten or run out, and it's not always easy to acquire it in the middle of the night, either - particularly in the middle of paid-internet-time. I also very much liked their non-contact pad disposer. You wave a hand over the sensor and the lid lifts, so that you can dump the stuff without actually touching the bin. Even better, the bin has a built in sanitiser and deodorant so that subsequent occupants of the toilet won't have to deal with the unsavory scent of used pads - something which is not at all rare in Singapore.

And yes, rarity as it may be, no photos for this entry because THE COMPUTER AT MEDIA CAFE POPEYE IS BEING AN ACCURSED BRAT.

Ryokan Time!

Posted By： Kimberly

Labels: accomodation, Japan 2010, kim, Yamanouchi | at 1:53 AM

The place where the Snow Monkeys was located was definitely not a place we could camp, since we were expecting snowfall and ice and what not. Therefore, we planned for a minor implosion in our finances to experience one of Japan's finest cultural offerings - the Ryokan stay.

ZsupCreator located Suisensou, not too budget busting and within walking distance from the JR Yudanaka train station, at Yamanouchi Town. Booking a place was easily done via the 'net, and we had very little trouble figuring out how to get there from the online map and some very useful signboards in the town itself. Be warned that it's not exactly right next door to the station, but it's certainly not a terrible walk to make.

We were a little unsure of how far we actually had to walk, since Japanese tourist maps have a habit of making some things seem too near, and other stuff deathly far. We were very happy to see the signboard as pictured on the booking website, really.

The room was a simple traditional affair, as can be seen above. In particular, note the table-like object of cushiony blanketness in the foreground? That's a kotatsu, and fixed on its underside was a heater that we both used to keep ourselves alive during our time in this place. Both of us having been born and bred in tropical environments, we were VERY appreciative of the toasty warmth emanating from it, especially since the room was rather traditional in design. (Read: Chilly to the max). In the background, you can see the two piles of what was to later become our individual futons. We set it up so that we both had one side of the kotatsu heater to warm our futons while we slept in a parallel sort of arrangement. The blankets were very fluffy, and the futon was the most comfortable thing I have slept on since I left home, really!

We also had the opportunity to try having a traditional Japanese bath, with hotspring water to soak in. Obviously, there were no pictures because 1. I refuse to risk my rather un-waterproof camera, and 2. I don't think anyone wants risque photos of me, really. The only sad bit here is that it was an indoors bathhouse, so I haven't yet fulfilled my dream of soaking in the amazing rock enclosed, open air pools that I saw the monkeys use earlier...

We also decided to reward ourselves for a long long train journey, both to get to Yamanouchi, and for what was ahead, in Yokohama. The spread you see above is one person's share of dinner. I found the tempura and sashimi　to be of much the same standard as regular restaurant fare, but I really appreciated the salt baked fish and extra firm tofu cube. The tofu came with little anchovies as the toppings, instead of the bonito flakes that we generally get served in Singapore's Japanese restaurants. While simple, the dinner was extremely filling and we rolled upwards later feeling like we had pigged out overmuch!

I took this photo with our hosts just before we left. That's the ladyboss and her mother right there! Her father declined to be part of the picture, although he was sitting on the sofa, hidden behind my fat backpack. As advertised, they really were very sweet people, very concerned about our welfare and comfort. I'd certainly recommend this place to anyone who's watching their pockets but still want to experience a slice of traditional Japan! :)

Exciting new place to stay in Nagoya!

Posted By： Kimberly

Labels: accomodation, Japan 2010, kim, nagoya | at 11:39 PM

MX's wandering feet have hit jackpot for us in Nagoya... here's our spanking new home for the next five nights. It's so new that the congratulatory flowers are still arranged in their foyer, and the celebration party was on tonight for the grand opening!

Front door! Very warm and inviting inside!

Staff at the counter, with a party celebrant to the right ^.^

Presenting to you, the next big thing in Nagoya's internet cafe scene... the Meiekimae.com! Impressively situated in one block over 8 floors, they've got a females-only level, a library's worth of manga and magazines, games level and more!

Checking out some of the titles from the impressive array. This is stocked like a decent bookstore, and all the books are shiny and new too!

My place. See all that space? There's more of that, where the table and computer set take up one side of the room. Luvverly space, space and more space!

Not our cube, but an option for those who actually want a chair

I'm typing this now from my very lavish pad, it's a good 2mx2m room with cushy floor and a couple cushions for sitting, widescreen LG Flatron monitor and PC engines so quiet I can hear myself breathe. This is definitely a huge upgrade from the previous place, where my computer sounded like an aeroplane taking off everytime I was trying to upload my photos. It eventually got done, of course, but here, everything is happening faster. WAY faster. I also have an overhead light because I have a ceiling! The guys are in cubes right next door, also lounging on their very own cushy platforms, spacious enough to stretch and roll around a bit in.

The leather's still all soft and smelling fresh from the store!

They've got a package deal going at 1600 yen for a block of 8 hours at night, and for tonight we're extending it at a charge of 105 yen/15mins in case we oversleep... considering how expensive we're finding Nagoya, in relation to what we've been getting in Japan so far, this is definitely worth the price.

Other than the usual range of freebies like various drinks, they've got additional perks on the upper levels...

No smoking for us, but the couch is still really cushy and great to slack in

And games machines for those who get bored of their stunning PC access, or just want to hang out with fellow campers at the net cafe!

We like the laundry access option in particular... fresh clothes are a must-have, and it recognises that some stayers in the net cafe need more than just a quick shower or a few hours to crash. Backpacker bargain alert!

Not for us, again, but the ciggies and food vending machine beside the lifts on the ground floor are a good thing for some people to get their fix. They also do "room service" for a mean curry rice topped with a pork cutlet at 850 yen. The phones are right by the lifts, so all a person has got to do is make a quick call!

Lounging area right by the counter so people can lay back and watch TV

Toilets on every level, clean enough to have a drink in ;)

So we managed to arrange our stay here for the next few days, we shall be adjusting our itinerary to suit our choice to live it up right here. The staff were sweet enough to accomodate us by promising to keep our cubey spaces for us each night - we rather thought they would fill up really fast once the news gets out that there's such a great place!

Just a couple of things on my wish list for this place. They're so new that a couple very small things are still missing from the lineup:

1. Slippers - I think this will be more important once the place starts filling up. I simply ran around barefoot for today because the floor is still pristine, but I wouldn't want to do that once the hordes start milling. Nor is it very comfy for a long staying type to be dragging their shoes on every other time they want to hop out of the cubicle to grab a drink.

2. Tissue box/Bin in the shower room - These are necessities, especially in the ladies' rooms. Many girls do major make-up here, nevermind other pesky female inconveniences, so it would be nice to make it more convenient. If they don't want odd rubbish in their bathrooms, perhaps disposal bags would be good?

I want to end on a more positive note though, so I will end with 3 more big pluses they have for me.

1. When you shower with them, you get a baggie package with a full size bath towel, a face towel, disposable toothbrush and razor. So thoughtful of them, right?

2. I love their hairdryer - it's got a hairbrush attachment so it makes it super convenient for a girl to do her hair after the hot shower!

3. The cleanliness of this place is currently unparalleled. I felt like I was totally dirtying up the place when I came in here all scruffy from the day's activities!

So this should be the number one option for people who need a place to crash, the fattest, tallest person won't ever have problems fitting comfortably into their 8 levels of comfort!

Happy friendly people!

MEIEKIMAE.COM, access map available from their website. Walking distance from JR Nagoya station and miles better than "Rounge" e-cafe, which the Visitors Info Counter recommended to us.

i-Cafe, we LIKE!

Posted By： Kimberly

Labels: accomodation, Japan 2010, kim, sendai | at 9:30 PM

We couldn't possibly stay at a place three days running and not give them some credit, right? So here's a short photo presentation of our temporary shelter. Great staff, cushy seats, and FANTASTIC toilet, even though we had to pay an extra 320 yen (per 40mins) to use it. Very popular place!

Rates are 1980 yen for overnighting from 8pm to 10am. Can't leave the place after getting the package deal though, so better make sure you've got all your stuff ready for it!

This branch is located on the 7th floor of the LABI building, just a short walk away from JR Sendai Station on the overhead walkway. The tourist information counter at the station was more than happy to recommend this to us. There is a need to sign up for the membership at 350 yen, but somehow when we went the staff offered us a coupon to discount the fee, so we didn't have to pay it at all.

Clean, hygienic and not at all sleazy, though they do provide tissues... for wiping up spilt drinks, of course *winks*