Nicocosity

  • Home
  • About
  • Travel
  • Beauty
  • Art
  • Class Act Ph
Just when I thought Heaven is only located in Fukuoka, particularly Yamamoto Bumpodo, imagine my kokoro when I discovered the 5 story worth of Art items in Sekaido!

With special participation of Jhude's cap.
Prior to going to Tokyo, I have already researched, and even allotted quite an amount for my trip to Sekaido. Basing on how much I have spent in Yamamoto Bumpodo last August (hi, Copic Markers), I braced myself with the high possibility of losing my control over my credit card!
Me.ME
So first things first, where is Sekaido? From what I have researched, they have different branches all over Tokyo, but their main one is in Shinjuku. As I have mentioned above, it has 5 floors sprawling with different Art items, from pens to paints, clays to wood, papers to nibs and even frames! They have everything! I want to buy everything!

But since I was travelling then with a big group, I wasn't given the luxury to stay there the whole day, instead I had only 10 minutes to fully explore, and figure out what I wanted to buy (in the last minute, I decided to keep my options open haha). Anyhoo, let me just share with you all the photos I took during my speedy shopping spree!

PEEEEENS GALORE!
MARKERSSS!
Way more affordable than the ones sold here!

I got one!



OOODLES OF PAINTS!


Nibs galore!


Washis!




The following photos made my heart skip a bit, only to break it after *cue Adele*

POLYMER CLAAAAYS!





Soooooo, here are some notes, little quips, and things I think people who would like to go to Sekaido should know:

1. Allot a budget for it! I swear, if you are like me, who wouldn't think twice choosing to go hungry over getting a new paintbrush, it will be painful if you go there with an empty wallet! So, save up!

2. Allot at least an hour or 2 when you go here! There's 5 floors full of heavenly delights in every corner, it would be a shame if you won't be able to see all of its glory! Also, if you have more time, you'll be able to compare prices, and brands!

3. The nibs sold here are waaaaaay less expensive than the ones sold here in Manila. Though, there are still those that costs a lot, but c'mon, where can you see nibs as inexpensive at Php 30+ in Manila? NOWHERE! SO BUY SO MANY NIBS, I TELL YAH!

4. I wasn't able to see any Copics during my visit, and I'm not sure if they don't have Copics or if they are stowed away in a fancy cabinet somewhere in the store. But I doubt that they are stored anywhere that is not within the reach of customers, because brands such as Holbein and Sennelier are readily available for people to check out.

5. The queues can be quite long. Have patience, my friend.

6. They accept credit card payment! But I opt for my Yens instead.

7. Don't be afraid to ask for assistance! They are very friendly, and will go out of their way to help you- even if 70% of the time you'll get lost in translation.

8. They have different brands of polymer clays, and even air dry ones, but they are soooooo expensive. I don't know why, since I was expecting the Modena ones to be less expensive in Japan, but it's the same price as the ones sold online here in The Philippines. As for a 50g Staedtler clay, they go for 400+ Yen, or around Php200+! That's expensive, ok?! I ended up not buying any clay that day *cue more sad songs, louder!*. Might as well just ask my older sister to buy me clays in Michael's or Jo-ann's when she goes to NYC soon.

And lastly...


9. Yup guys, pay your items on its designated floor. You can't pay for all the stuff  you got when you go back down to the ground floor.

I am proud to say that I did not blow my budget, and was only able to spend a max of 3000 yen! Although, to be honest I allotted 10,000 yen for this trip, but since I only have 10 minutes to wander, I just got things that look sparkly... and yes, no Copic Markers *cue Adele again*

Pasok Adele!

Will share my loot in my next post *wink*

Love Always,

Nicole




Share
Tweet
Pin
Share
2 Comments
When someone says Ha Long Bay, the only thing that comes to mind for me was the final scene in the movie Bourne Legacy where Jeremy Renner and Rachel Weisz are in a boat, transitioning from the Philippines to Vietnam's Ha Long Bay. Yup, of all the references, that's the one thing that stuck in my mind.


Just like the whole Vietnam trip, initially I wasn't gushing about the Ha Long bay trip, despite it being a UNESCO World Heritage site. My thoughts ranged from, "Eh what's to see?", "There are probably loads of tourists there that I won't even enjoy it", to "I'm scared of riding boats." But hey, after realizing that I might not be able to go back to Vietnam again, so might as well just wing it!


Before I proceed with the happenings, let's start with the basics, like where did we pay for the tours. Since me and my cousin were not sure on what day to go to Ha Long bay, we did not book a tour in advance via Klook or KK day, instead we booked our trip via the reception of our hotel.

If you are not like us, check this one out here

The receptionist showed us different packages, with different kinds of activities with different price ranges. The most affordable tour costs at $30 and the most expensive is at around $100, and all those tours includes the van ride to Ha Long Bay pier and back to our hotel, the ferry ride, tour to the cave, tour to the beach, and a lunch. Our receptionist insisted that we get the $45 one, since it is better quality unlike the $30 one. Wrong move actually, because when we were already at the tour we really did not see much difference between the $30 and $45 tour, so might as well choose the cheaper one so you can save the $15 for additional shopping fund HAHAHA!

MORE SHOPPING!

Given that's out of the bag, let's now proceed. As part of the tour, a van with a tour guide will pick you up from your hotel, so you better be at the lobby at 7 A.M. already, however the van arrived at around 8:30 A.M.but hey better than early than be left behind due to tardiness hahaha! After picking us up, the van proceeded in picking-up other tourists from different hotels around Old Quarters.


I think the distance between Old Quarters and Ha Long Bay pier is around 170KM, or equivalent to around 3 hours of drive time. If you are like me, who piss a lot, is wondering if we had a stop-over for a quick wiwi break, don't worry the Vietnamese aren't sadistic beings because halfway the 170KM we stopped by this place that has multiple bathrooms, a huuuge lot with stores selling random things and knick knacks, and random scupltures as shown above. We were given 30 minutes to go to the bathroom, and explore the place. But really, there's not much to see there to be honest, that we actually begged the driver to let us in right after we peed, in this way we can just have more sleep time hahaha!



Once we arrived at the pier, our tour guide gave us each a ticket, which we should not lose. The ticket will be punched each time you go to the different activities of the tour. So anyway, our group were led to one of these ferry boats, joining another group of tourists from another tour company.




The perfect soundtrack to this trip hahaha!

The same book I took with me in Fukuoka, because I haven't even read one page off it during that trip hahaha!
 It took us around 30 minutes to reach the first island, so what I did then was climbed the top deck, took some photos, then indulged myself with this crazy depressing book by Adam Silvera. During this period they served the lunch, which sadly don't look appetizing, so we end up skipping the food instead.




The first island we arrived to immediately tested us by giving us some cardio exercise. We climbed I think around 5 flights of stairs, only to go down another 3 flights of stairs to enter this...






YUP, CAVES! I don't know what was I thinking at that time that I wore ballet flats instead of sneakers hahahha! I suppose I was too keen on wearing my flowy dress, and figured that the sneakers will be a major clash to my OOTD! Just imagine how I hold on to the railings as I ascend descend the steps! HAHAHA! The steps were very slippery, so please don't be an idiot and wear the right pair of shoes, don't be like me.






After the steep steps of the cave, our next destination is another island where we have to option to kayak, or ride a boat with 10 others in it. By the looks of our get-up, clearly we are not meant for the kayak life.






This one's a quick one, approximately around 10 minutes, with 2 minutes exposure to these monkeys. 



See, I'm wearing flats at the beach! HAHAHHA! *facepalm x3798424*

To enjoy the last island in the itinerary you are given 2 options: lazily hang out at the beach, or climb the top of the mountain, both options with only 30 minutes to enjoy! Since we are not fast climbers, we decided to stay at the beach, and watch other tourists enjoy the beach. To be frank, the beach is sub-par compared to the ones we have in The Philippines (check out Capones island, you're welcome), so it never sparked feelings of regret for not bringing along some swimming attire.

By around 4 P.M. we sailed back to the pier, and geared ourselves for another 3 hours of drive time.


So before I end this post, let me share some things about this tour:
1. Wear appropriate attire, and yes that includes the right pair of shoes. To be honest, the best kind of pair that I think would be perfect for this trip are crocs. Ok, not the ugly big ones, but there are some models that are light, but will definitely be your best friend for the slippery steps.
2. If you are a picky eater, I suggest that you bring a long some snacks with you. The lunch provided doesn't look appetizing, that I ended up finishing the pack of mochi that I brought along. Also, bring some drinks because the prices of the drinks sold at the ferry were exorbitantly hiiiigh!
3. Better think twice about wearing a hat while at the top deck. During this trip I saw a little kid whose hat flew away because of the strong gust of wind. Don't be like that kid,
4. Do your research, because I think we could have gotten a better deal if we planned ahead.
5. There are some areas where you could see a lot of plastic floating at the water. I think this should be a wake-up call to every one to be more environmental-friendly, and to don't throw their trash in the water.
6. Don't buy anything at the stop-over spots, because the prices are double it's original price unlike if you just buy stuff at the city proper.
7. There are tours that provide 1 day accomodation at bigger ferries! 
8. Bring extra clothes, because who knows you might fall off the ferry hahaha!
9. The pictures don't do justice to how stunning Ha Long bay is. I am so glad my cousin forced me to take this tour, because Ha Long Bay is loooove.

2nd OOTD DEETS: Blazer and hat from Vietnam, Short black dress pilfered from Mama's closet, ballet flats from Shoo-In :)

Love Always,
Nicole
Share
Tweet
Pin
Share
No Comments
Newer Posts
Older Posts

About me

Hola! Nicole Alejandro here with her random musings about travel, arts, and life- all for the benefit of her future kid ;)

Are you looking for something?

Want to Collab, Sponsor, or You Have a Great Idea?

You can reach me at nicocosity1993@gmail.com ♡

Labels

  • NicDoesArts
  • NicDoesBeauty
  • NicDoesFashion
  • NicGoesToPlaces
  • NicTheBookWorm

recent posts

Blog Archive

  • ►  2024 (1)
    • ►  January 2024 (1)
  • ►  2023 (11)
    • ►  October 2023 (2)
    • ►  September 2023 (4)
    • ►  April 2023 (2)
    • ►  March 2023 (3)
  • ►  2022 (2)
    • ►  March 2022 (1)
    • ►  January 2022 (1)
  • ►  2020 (32)
    • ►  December 2020 (3)
    • ►  November 2020 (1)
    • ►  October 2020 (2)
    • ►  September 2020 (1)
    • ►  August 2020 (1)
    • ►  July 2020 (3)
    • ►  June 2020 (3)
    • ►  May 2020 (7)
    • ►  April 2020 (3)
    • ►  March 2020 (5)
    • ►  February 2020 (3)
  • ►  2019 (34)
    • ►  December 2019 (3)
    • ►  November 2019 (1)
    • ►  October 2019 (7)
    • ►  September 2019 (2)
    • ►  August 2019 (2)
    • ►  July 2019 (3)
    • ►  June 2019 (3)
    • ►  May 2019 (4)
    • ►  April 2019 (2)
    • ►  March 2019 (2)
    • ►  February 2019 (3)
    • ►  January 2019 (2)
  • ▼  2018 (29)
    • ►  December 2018 (2)
    • ▼  November 2018 (5)
      • Heaven is in TOKYOOOO!: #NicGoesToTokyo
      • Hey Ha Long Bay! #NicGoesToHanoi Day 4
      • The Yakult Way at The Vietnam Fine Arts Museum #Ni...
      • The Heat is On in Hanoi! #NicGoesToHanoi Day 2
      • Drag me to... Vietnam? #NicGoesTo Hanoi Day 1-ish
    • ►  October 2018 (3)
    • ►  September 2018 (2)
    • ►  August 2018 (6)
    • ►  July 2018 (1)
    • ►  June 2018 (2)
    • ►  May 2018 (5)
    • ►  February 2018 (2)
    • ►  January 2018 (1)
  • ►  2017 (17)
    • ►  December 2017 (2)
    • ►  November 2017 (7)
    • ►  October 2017 (6)
    • ►  March 2017 (2)
  • ►  2016 (2)
    • ►  July 2016 (1)
    • ►  June 2016 (1)
  • ►  2013 (8)
    • ►  April 2013 (7)
    • ►  March 2013 (1)
  • ►  2012 (42)
    • ►  December 2012 (1)
    • ►  October 2012 (4)
    • ►  September 2012 (1)
    • ►  August 2012 (1)
    • ►  July 2012 (3)
    • ►  June 2012 (5)
    • ►  May 2012 (6)
    • ►  April 2012 (8)
    • ►  March 2012 (7)
    • ►  February 2012 (3)
    • ►  January 2012 (3)
  • ►  2011 (40)
    • ►  December 2011 (3)
    • ►  November 2011 (4)
    • ►  October 2011 (13)
    • ►  September 2011 (8)
    • ►  August 2011 (5)
    • ►  July 2011 (3)
    • ►  June 2011 (1)
    • ►  May 2011 (3)

Created with by BeautyTemplates | Distributed by Blogger