Japan Cheap Eats #2 | Nagasaki

This is part of a series about eating on a budget and I've titled the series, "Japan Cheap Eats". Many people think Japan is expensive, but I'm here to prove them wrong! We found many budget options and I wanted to share them with you!

Previously, I posted about eating cheap in Japan. As most people know, Japan is one of the most expensive countries in the world. Everyone always talks about how expensive it is, but Markus and I were determined to enjoy Japan despite being on a budget. One of the best ways to control your budget is eating frugally. For most of our time in Japan, we ate really cheap, but there were times that we splurged. I mean, I couldn't travel all the way to Japan and eat at 7-11 the whole time!

Another really cheap place to eat is the grocery store. Japan, like Korea, has really great supermarkets. They are filled with ready to made meals at reasonable prices. There is so much variety and it always took us a long time to decide what to eat. The food is made fresh daily and really affordable. They have everything you could want, sushi, bento boxes, salads etc. It's a really great alternative to eating fast food, which is always the last resort for us. When Markus and I got sick of going to marts, we always trekked to the nearest grocery store. 

For our second cheap eats, we decided to go a bit healthier. We didn't want to overload on ramen and fried foods. Markus and I always split everything, so that we can have a nice variety of tastes and meals. For this meal, we chose a salad, grilled eel with rice and sashimi with udon. Everything was really good. I couldn't believe that our meal was only $10. It was also nice to eat something that felt fresher and a bit healthier. If we spent all our time eating instant ramen and fried chicken, I'm sure our bodies would've hated us!

Cost Breakdown:
Salad: 105 yen
Salad Dressing: 20 yen
Grilled Eel with Rice: 498 yen
Sashimi with Udon: 398 yen
TOTAL: 1021 yen or $10.06

Koh Rong, Cambodia | 3 of 3

Nights on Koh Rong were really interesting and unlike anything I've ever experienced before. Life on the island really slows down. Everyone is very lackadaisical about everything. There is a definite hippie vibe. It took a lot of adjustment for Markus and I who like to have everything a certain way and at a certain time. There are heaps of hostels and hotels that line the beach and all of them double as restaurants. Regardless of where we were, every meal took at least one to two hours before it hit the table. We ended up spending at least 3 hours at a restaurant, which is not normal for us. After a couple days, we got the hang of things and spent the rest of our time there livin' that island life.

Gunkanjima | Hashima Island, Japan

Markus and I are a fan of films, which makes sense since Markus is an animator. When we travel, for some reason, I always tend to look for filming locations. We've been to Pemberely, Hogwarts, and 221B Baker Street. When I was planning our trip to Japan, Skyfall was just released in the theaters. When I saw the film, I remember being intrigued by the abandoned island that was featured. I've always wanted to explore a ghost town or an abandoned theme park. After a bit of research, I learned that it was in Japan. So, I made sure to include Hashima Island on the list.

Hashima Island is known by so many different names such as Gunkanjima, Battleship Island and Ghost Island. It's located off the coast of Nagasaki. The island was primarily used as a coal mining facility from 1887 to 1974. It was bought by Mitsubishi in 1880 and people lived and worked on the island. In 1974 the mine was closed and Hashima has been abandoned since then. Due to several typhoons, the buildings have taken a beating and the island was closed off to visitors. It's popularity has risen in the past few years and it was decided to open Hashima for supervised tours.

Markus and I used to watch a lot of those "ghost hunter" like shows. I'm really intrigued by places that are supposedly haunted and for some reason always end up watching shows like that on TV. I was a huge fan of Unsolved Mysteries when I was a kid, so I think this fascination stems from this. What can I say? I'm a bit of a weirdo, but at least it makes for interesting posts and travels!

I was a bit sad that we weren't allowed to freely explore the island, but I can understand the reasoning behind it. The tour took us to three different spots on the island. The tour was completely in Japanese so Markus just wandered around. It was also extremely hot that day, so by the time we reached our third stop, I was pretty over it. Despite the heat and not understanding the tour, I enjoyed being able to visit the island. It was really cool to see something so unique and unlike any other place. Maybe Markus and I will start searching for more abandoned places we could explore on our own.

Paradise Bungalows | Koh Rong, Cambodia | 2 of 3

Before we headed down to Koh Rong, an island off the southern coast of Cambodia, I extensively researched the best place to stay. I was really worried about being stranded on an isolated island for five days. The island is quite underdeveloped and is powered by solar generators. There are even designated times for electricity at night. It's probably the closest I will ever get to living on a "deserted island".

While I conducted my research, I wanted to make sure that we found the best of the best on the island. There were a lot of hostel like type places where you could pay $1 for a night in a dorm room packed full of random people. I'm sorry, but I'm not about that life. I'm already in my 30s and I think I've gone past that stage. I don't mind paying a more for a more comfortable place. For only $19 more, Markus and I stayed at Paradise Bungalows.

Paradise Bungalows is by no means five star accommodation, but it's the closest you'll get on Koh Rong. Everything is really rustic, but that adds to the charm. I must say that it took a lot of getting used to. If you stay on an island like Koh Rong, it's going back to the basics. It was definitely something that Markus and I both wanted to experience.

For bungalows, you can choose one on the beach or more inland. We chose an inland bungalow and didn't feel like we missed out. We were only a minute walk to the beach. There really isn't a bad bungalow because you can see the beach from the porch of every single one. All of them have bathrooms that are connected and outside. It was pretty cool taking a shower without a roof. I felt a bit like I was Eve or something. Although, using the toilet was a bit uncomfortable. Many times, you could hear people talking and walking by. Either way, it was a great experience and one that I wouldn't be afraid to repeat!

Buckingham Fountain | Chicago, Illinois

Back in September, we went to the city with our dearest friends and roommates Ashley and Zack. Since I've never been to Chicago, we tried to fit in a ton of places. We pretty much walked all over the city. While we were at the Bean we decided to walk over to Buckingham Fountain. I didn't know that this was the same fountain featured in the Married with Children opening. As soon as I found that out, I couldn't stop singing "Love and Marriage".

We spent most of our time trying to take pictures of each couple. At one point an Indian lady walked right in front of the camera when Zack was taking pictures of us. She was completely oblivious and had no idea what was going on even though we were laughing hysterically. It was pretty awesome and the highlight of my day.

We spent a decent amount of time trying to get a serious picture out of Ash and Zack but they shined the most when they were being themselves. I honestly wouldn't have it any other way. I love these pictures of them and I think I would blow them up and hang them on my wall. That's how much I love them. We always have a great time with Ash and Zack and they're definitely an extremely amazing bonus to living a wonderful city.