Shopping - Cath Kidston 2009/06 summer sale

Cath Kidston offical web site: http://www.cathkidston.co.uk/
Japan rakuten web site : http://item.rakuten.co.jp/culture/c/0000000864/

My bag (Cath Kidston summer sale):
1. Textured rose stand up tote








2. Sprig Stone travel purse






















I online ordered the bags on 2009/6/26. The bag is sent to me on 2009/7/3 (around 1 week) and the shop debited my account on 2009/6/29 (around 3 days). It is quite efficient. But I ordered 4 items and only 3 items are received. May be that item is out of stock because I cannot find that one on online shop.

Travel - North Kyushu Travel (photos) by Alize Joyful

PHOTO :
Picasa 網路相簿 - North Kyushu - Alize Joyful (<-- click here)

TRANSPORTATION :
Flight (Asia miles) + airport tax hkd565 + 1 day subway pass (500yen*0.085=hkd42.5) + Kokura monorail (200yen=hkd17) + Marino city bus 360yen+ subway100 yen(460yen) + Tosu bus outlet (400yen) 3day North Kyushu Pass(7000yen=hkd595) + Hakata to airport subway (250yen) + Nagasaki 1 day street car (500yen) = hkd791.35

TRAVEL INSURANCE: hkd100.5

ACCOMMODATION:
1. Spa Hostel Khaosan Beppu (http://www.hostelworld.com/) shared room 2000yen * 0.086 = hkd172
2. Toyoko Inn Hakata-eki Minami東橫INN 博多站南

Travel - North Kyushu (Day 5) - 2009 Lunar New Year

DAY 5 - Hakata (博多) , Nakasu (中洲)

ITINERARY

• 11:58 subway from Hakata to Domestic Airport (5mins)
• shuttle bus from domestic to international airport
• Flight KA317 (14:00 – 16:55)(flight time - 4hours)

TRAVEL TIPS

• walk from Hakata to Canal city – Hakata gate and turn left and walk along Hakata street (博多通 『ni』), you can get the map from JR station (around 15 – 30 mins)
• If KA / Cathay Pacific airlines, can online check-in 2 days before, and thus can book the aisle seat on web
• Airport – only around 3 small duty free (sovenior) shops – has Hello Kitty ramen with plastic bowl (600 yen – save 30yen if buy there)

Travel - North Kyushu (Day 4) - 2009 Lunar New Year

DAY 4 - Nagasaki (長崎), Saga (佐賀), Nishi Kokura (西小倉) (3-day north Kyushu jr-pass)

ITINERARY

• 7:45 Limited express JR from Hakata to Nagasaki; arrived Nagasaki at 9:xx
• Nagasaki JR station has AMU Plaza(shops include Afternoon Tea, Ray Cassin, ozoc, Jeansis.... )
• 15:46 Nagasaki limited express JR to Saga (17:08)
• 17:43 from Saga JR to Hakata JR (18:15)
• Change line 18:20 Hakata JR to Kokura JR (OITA line limited express )
• 19:19 Kokura JR to Nisi-Kokura local JR (1-2 mins)
• 10 - 15 mins walk to Riverwalk City in Nisi-Kokura : large shopping mall
• Kokura shopping street - has some ramen shops / restaurants / stalls

TRAVEL TIPS

• Travel Nagasaki - should buy 1-day train(street-car) ticket cost 500yen
• AMU plaza has Miracle Toilet (very nice and big) for female
• Follow the map on the back of the ticket to travel and there are many indicators shown you the place. Go to Miracle toilet at department store before sight-seeing
• (大浦天主堂) - walking along the slope to the destination - when you on the way to (大浦天主堂), there are many sovenior shops (include food) on the 2-side of the road, many food free to eat for tasting
• If you not pay the entrace fee of Glover Garden, you can skip that place coz you cannot view the flowers on the outside and need to walk quite long way (if you have not enough time)
• At then end of China Town (唐人街), there is a DAIMEI (大中) superstore, at the 4/f, there are variety of items are sold for 105 yen include food such as noodles, daily commodities
• no sightseeing / shops is found outside / near Saga JR - can skip that place (only few restaurants found outside Saga JR)
• Nishi-Kokura - Riverwalk City ( www.riverwalk.co.jp/index.php ) - shop HUSHUSH sold bags like plastic bag, shopping bags等 (original price 3990 yen – on sale 50% off → 1990 yen), can have a look next times

Travel - North Kyushu (Day 3) - 2009 Lunar New Year

DAY 3 - Kokura(小倉), Mojiko (門市港), Saga (佐賀),Tosu outlet(鳥栖) (3-day North Kyushu JR-Pass)

ITINERARY

• 7:23 limited express from Beppu to Hakata, arrived Kokura station at around 9:xx



• Monorail to Tanga market(旦過市場) (special price 100yen (original price – 170 yen)
• Kokura to Mojiko (local JR around 10 mins)
• Monorail from Tanga market to Kokura, and has 燒豚肉定食 at Yoshinoya (吉野家)(near JR station)
• local JR to Tosu (13:18 – 15:20) and go to Tosu Premium outlet (need 20 mins) by bus; fare cost 200yen www.premiumoutlets.co.jp/en/tosu/
• Tosu JR limited express to Hakata from 18:29 to 18:50

TRAVEL TIPS

• Kokura - do not go to Tanga Market on morning (shops not open in the morning)
• Mojiko – like Hakodate (函館) , many sovenior shops near sea-side, and many indicators shown you the locations of the buildings
• Mojiko → Kokura (nearly every 1 mins has local JR)
• Mojiko → Kokura → Hakata → Tosu (express) (need more time 13:18 → 15:20)– should take local JR to Kokura / Hakata. Change Limited express to Tosu (Hakata limited express need around 20 mins)
• Each hour has 1 or 2 bus from Tosu JR to Tosu premium oulet
• Tosu p.outlet bus station is on the right-hand side of JR and you may ask JR 『INFORMATION counter』 where it located
• Tosu Premium outlet shops – Pageboy, As Know As, Citizen (hello kitty watch) .... there is a cracker and jam shop → very delicious (some jam and cracker are free to eat for tasting)

Travel - North Kyushu (Day 2) - 2009 Lunar New Year

DAY 2 - 別府(Beppu) , 大分(Oita) , 湯布院(Yufuin) (3-day north Kyushu JR-pass)

ITINERARY
morning from Hakata JR limited express to Beppu, walk 15 mins to YHA (check-in), then go to JR Oita and then Yufuin for sight-seeing

TRAVEL TIPS

• nearly 1 hour 1 JR from Yufuin to Oita (watch the jr time before you left Yufuin station)
• Yufuin is Hot spring area
• outside Oita station turn left → Cent Porto has 100 yen shop (has several floors)
• Yufuin has 2 Hello Kitty' shop with 蛋 machine (300yen) at the end of shopping street

Travel - North Kyushu (Day 1) - 2009 Lunar New Year

DAY 1 (2009/1/23) - Hakata (博多), Nakasu (中洲), Tenjin (天神) (1-day subway pass)

ITINERARY

• Flight KA316 (8:30 – 13:00) (flight time 3 hours - from Hong Kong to Fukuoka) ; arrived Toyoko Inn Hotel at 14:xx
• go to Canal City http://www.canalcity.co.jp/index.php by subway -> walk along Nakasu shopping street (中洲商店街)and then at the end of the street is Canal City



• go to Marino City ( www.marinoacity.com/index.html ) by subway (Tenji) and then go there by bus located outside Mitsukoshi Department Store (三越 )

TRAVEL TIPS :

• Buy 1 day subway pass (special price 500 yen; original 600 yen) at airport subway station
  
• Toyoko Inn has shuttle bus from JR station to hotel(but start at 16:00 to 23:59), thus still need to walk to hotel when you arrived before 16:00
• nearly every 15-20 mins from JR to hotel (ask the check-in counter for the leaflet about the time schedule)
• airport to hotel – (free of charge) shuttle bus from international airport to domestic airport) and then 250yen subway from airport to Hakata (only 2 stations)
• how to walk from JR station to hotel – Hakata Jr 筑紫口, will see Miyata Hotel, along Miyata hotel main road (ie. Walk straight and then turn right and walk until you see 麻生外語觀光學校; there is a building Toyoko inn (15- 30 mins) on the left hand side.
• buy 3-day JR PASS at Hakata JR Station cost 7000 yen
  
• Nakasu shopping street (中洲商店街) has some 100 yen shops
• Canal city – shops like swimmer, porter, Agnes b voyage, ABC MART
• Hakata JR station has many kiosks that sell souvenir food (but need pay tax) – Hello Kitty ramen with plastic bowl cost 630yen