The land of
the rising sun - a country on my mind for the longest time ever and one i often
put off travelling to, given the perceived notion that it would put a huge dent
on my already paltry savings.
Joy and
excitement obviously overwhelmed me for this inaugural trip and this could be
seen from the over 7,000 photos / video taken using my camera and phone which
took up a bulky 67 gigabytes of space on my computer.
General
Information
-
New Chitose Airport
- Self
Driving in Hokkaido
- Common
Street Flowers in Hokkaido
-
Taking the Subway in Sapporo
-
Using the Lockers at Subway Stations
Day
One in Furano
- The
Eyes in the Sky (New Chitose)
-
Lunch @ Teppan Okonomiyaki Masaya
-
Shikisai-no-Oka (四季彩之丘)
-
Ningle Terrace
-
Dinner @ Kumagera
-
Accommodation @ Airbnb Ryouji
Day
Two in Otaru
-
Desserts @ Furano Delice
-
Fried Chicken Lunch @ Wakadori Jidai Naruto Honten
-
Sakaimachi Street
> Music Box Museum
> Desserts @ LeTAO
-
Otaru Canal
-
Otaru Unga Syokudo (小樽運河食堂)
-
Dinner @ Sushi Zammai Otaru
-
Accommodation @ Airbnb Erina
Day
Three in Lake Toya
-
Otaru Tenguyama Ropeway
> Tenguyama Shrine
> Chipmunk Enclosure
> Mt. Tengu Bobsleigh
-
Lunch @ Celan Curry & Cafe
-
Road Station Akaigawa
-
Natural Spring Water @ Fukidashi Park
-
Sairo (Silo) Observation Platform
-
Dessert @ Lake-Hill Farm
-
Ramen Dinner @ 一本亭
-
Summer Festival
-
Outdoor Foot Bath
-
Fireworks
-
Accommodation @ Daiwa Ryokan
Day
Four in Noboribetsu
-
Fruit Picking @ Sobetsu Fruit Village
-
Main Street of Hot Spring Town
-
Demons of Noboribetsu
-
Lunch @ たこ焼き 永森
-
Sengen Park (Geyser)
-
Hiking Trails of Hot Spring Town
> Hell Valley (Jigokudani)
> Mount Hiyori / Oyunuma / Oku no Yu
> Oyunuma Natural Footbath
-
Dinner @ いせくら (Winner)
-
Accommodation @ Takimoto Inn
Day
Five in Sapporo
-
Lunch @ Log House Wagyu Bibi Restaurant
-
Mitsui Outlet Park
-
Odori Park
-
Tanukikoji Shopping Street
> Don Quijote
-
Accommodation @ Unizo Inn
Day
Six in Sapporo
-
Local Market - 札中卸センター
-
Maruyama Park
-
Hokkaido Shrine
-
Desserts @ Rokkatei
-
Dinner @ Soup Curry & Dining Suage+
-
Taking the Street Tram
Day
Seven in Sapporo
-
Shiroi Koibito Park
> Factory Walk
> Chocolate Lounge
-
Maruyama Zoo
-
Lunch @ Matsuya Foods
-
Nijo Market
-
Ferris Wheel @ NORBESA
-
Dinner @ Daruma Honten
Day
Eight in Sapporo
-
New Chitose Airport
> Royce Chocolate World
> Ramen @ Food Court Wing
Expenses
Airfare
(Thai Airways) - S$376.00 per personAccommodation - S$469.70 per person
Car
Rental - S$635.09 per car
Miscellaneous
- S$2,000 per person
======
Day
Zero (Thursday, 03 August
2017)
Singapore
- Bangkok
Day
One (Friday,
04 August 2017)
Bangkok
- New Chitose - Furano / Biei
[7.26 am Japan
Time] All rise and shine for a filling breakfast - I must have been really tired
as I managed to catch quite a few hours of sleep; an abnormal feat for someone
who could only sleep well on a bed.
[8.54 am] All
the timing henceforth would be in Japan time! With mountain peaks peeking out
from the blanket of cottony clouds, the humongous Boeing 747-400 plane started
descending from a high of ten thousands of feet.
[9.00 am]
Landed safety; wasn't too happy to see a cloudy sky though as it might infer a
rainy weather which would not be conducive for any
travel!
[9.50 am] By
the way, there isn't any Hokkaido airport and the one we arrived at is known as
New Chitose Airport; the third busiest airport in Japan. So where do we proceed
from here? Take the escalator to level one of the airport to take the free
shuttle that would send us to the site office of the car rental
company!
[11.13 am]
Ride was only about 10 minutes and after going through the mandatory signing of
contract with "Budget Rent A Car" and listening to all the important
instructions, we were handed the key to the hatchback that would assist us in
our journey for the next few days; the grey Nissan Note!
Over the next
two hours, we drove through countless tunnels and stopped at a rest station (for
a pee and bought some very much needed snacks). For this trip, we had a total of
six persons. Two cars were rented as Alex and I would be extending our stay in
Hokkaido and to have six persons in one car with all the luggage would be
suicidal.
[1.35 pm]
Lunch time at Teppan Okonomiyaki Masaya which was ranked #3 out of 158
restaurants in Furano! Was the meal memorable? Sure was and just a word of
caution; don't opt for the counter seat unless you want to be close to the
action!
[3.52 pm]
Since Farm Tomita is in close proximity to our Airbnb, we decided to drive
northward for half an hour to the #1 thing to do in Biei; the breathtaking
flower gardens of Shikisai-no-Oka (四季彩之丘)!
Now you know
what I meant by breathtaking! In my research to prepare for this trip, I had
seen similar photographs but nothing beats seeing it for real with my own eyes!
p.s. had my first taste of Hokkaido ice cream and I literally had my soul taken
away.
[6.13 pm] Paid
a visit to Ningle Terrace; a handicraft village with shops housed in little
wooden cottages surrounded by towering trees. The handicrafts for sale were far
too pricey for me though.
[7.08 pm]
Kumagera - at a rank higher than Teppan Okonomiyaki Masaya, this was where I had
my first bite of Furano Wagyu Beef Shabu Shabu and a delicious sip (maybe 2) of
melon with sake!
[8.52 pm]
Supermarket shopping at Ralse Mart; I could have spent hours there but time was
of essence since the store would be closing at 9.00 pm! In my haste, I could
only grab a few packs of snacks and a big bottle of mineral water
:(
[9.24 pm]
After an uncomfortable 20-minute drive with minimal street lights, we finally
checked in to my very first Airbnb. Verdict? At my age, I am better off paying
extra to stay in a hotel with an attached bathroom and proper
amenities.
Day Two (Saturday,
05 August 2017)
Furano
- Otaru
[8.43 am]
Exited the Airbnb in search of a convenience stall to purchase breakfast and
it's actually just right across! I love 7-11 (and convenience stalls in general)
in Japan as the food selection was so wide!
[8.58 am] Farm
Tomita - easily the most recognizable flower garden in the whole of Japan with
loads of instagrammable spots, this would be the place to go if you ever travel
to Hokkaido in summer! The only downside was that you had to jostle with tons of
tourists!
Place was huge
and after two hours, we only covered slightly more than half of the farm! It
didn't help that the sun was all bright and sunny and time wasn't on our side as
our next leg, the bustling Otaru, was about a 3-hour drive
away.
[11.34 am]
Whatever the case, we simply couldn't miss the #1 restaurant in the area; Furano
Delice and its to-die-for double fromage cheesecake!
[1.42 pm] In
the midst of our long ride to Otaru. Alex and I had an understanding when it
comes to driving the Nissan Note; he will take over the wheel if the distance is
far as he has no trust in my driving skill after the car accident I
had on Jeju Island.
[2.01 pm] Darn
asshole as I had learnt a lot about overseas driving after
that accident; for one, we should occasionally give ourselves a
rest by stopping at rest stations, like this one at Nopporo, along the
way!
[3.16 pm] Late
lunch at Wakadori Jidai Naruto Honten in Otaru which was known for its deep
fried chicken! Don't play play; it was ranked #4 out of 730 restaurants in
Otaru!
[4.31 pm]
Checked in to our next Airbnb which was a nice, modern studio unit with a sea
view! There were two beds and a sofa bed and for proper and fair allocation, we
drew lots; Alex lost.
[5.22 pm] With
a super tight timeline, we made our way to the historical Sakaimachi Street and
entered the first building at the start of the street; the Music Box
Museum!
[5.58 pm] Not
forgetting desserts as well at the famous LeTAO outlet along Sakaimachi Street
with their signature double fromage cheesecake (again) and choux cream
puffs.
There were so
many shops along the street (especially those selling glassware) but many of
them had closed for the day; typical operating hours end at about 6.00
pm.
Frankly, I was
thinking of making a day trip to Otaru from Sapporo if time were to permit in
the next few days. Sadly, it didn't materialize and I must admit it's one of my
biggest regrets for this trip to Japan.
[7.08 pm]
Literally the icon of Otaru, the canal, lined with heritage warehouses, was once
an important part of the nearby port a hundred years ago. It's a touristy-must
to take a picture of the restored Otaru Canal.
[7.14 pm] Less
than 10 meters away from Otaru Canal would be the Otaru Unga Syokudo (小樽運河食堂);
an indoor cluster of restaurants with a souvenir shop in the middle. We
initially wanted dinner but there was hardly any air-conditioning, a necessity
for most Singaporeans, in the building!
[7.45 pm]
Spent half an hour as we couldn't decide where to satisfy our last meal for the
day! Eventually, we stepped into Sushi Zammai Otaru which was owned by the man
whom I would see on TV / newspaper on a yearly basis; for the past few years, he
was the highest bidder for the first auction of the year at Japan’s super famous
Tsukiji fish market. p.s. the sushi was terribly good and I am not even dining
at the best sushi restaurant in Otaru!
[8.27 pm] The
quiet Sakaimachi Street which exuded a vast difference in atmosphere when night
falls. I needed to cut through this street so that I could get to my Nissan
Note.
[9.11 pm] Back
at the Airbnb! As the building was located at the end of the road and was also
directly behind a shrine, there was an indisputable aura of eeriness. Well,
please be assured that aside from the scare we had with the bloody big spider
outside, the sleep was great and uneventful.
Day Three (Sunday, 06
August 2017)
Otaru
- Lake Toya
[8.23 am] As I
was up relatively early, I decided to check out the peaceful Suitengu Shrine
which was the same shrine that bordered the Airbnb.
I can wax
lyrical on how much I love the toilets in Japan; however, I did chance upon
toilets that didn't meet the cut and the worst in Hokkaido would be this rather
dirty one near the shrine.
Had to share
this photo of a beautiful house cat!
[10.09 am] At
the summit of Mount Tengu via the Otaru Tenguyama Ropeway, where we were blessed
with a good view of the port city.
Does this look
familiar? I took one of Alex a few years back when we were
in Taiwan! You may check out the
picture here under day one of the Taiwan
itinerary.
For the basic
price of 1,140 Japanese yen per adult (both ways), there was plenty to see and
do at Mt Tengu. One of which would be the shrine honoring the god that gives the
mountain its name; Tenguyama. p.s. rubbing its long red nose can apparently
protect you from evil and/or to grant you wishes.
Chipmunk
enclosure where you can have the cute rodents eating from your hand (with
purchase of the sunflower seeds). The problem would be finding the elusive
chipmunks as I found only two.
Known as Mt.
Tengu Bobsleigh, this would be similar to the luge ride we had at
Sentosa; though we couldn't compete with each other, it was still a fun and
breezy spree.
There were
more; an Otaru Ski Museum (the mountain transformed into a place for skiing in
winter) and a tengu exhibition room with hundreds of long-nosed
masks!
[11.33 am]
Celan Curry & Cafe for lunch and boy was I impressed with the soup curry
that Hokkaido has gained quite a good reputation for. Don't be worried if you
have someone in your group who doesn't take spicy food as you can choose the
level of spiciness and level 1 was totally not hot!
[1.22 pm] Rest
stop at Road Station Akaigawa - time to get a can of warm coffee with milk! Do
keep in mind that the freshly baked bread at this rest station was super duper
nice!
[2.34 pm]
Fukidashi Park where you should fill your empty water bottles with naturally
cold spring water from Mount Yotei. Initially, this wasn't on my itinerary but i
spotted the place when i was going through my planned driving route on google
map! I cannot imagine living without the technology we have
nowadays.
[3.53 pm]
Sairo (Silo) Observation Platform - the place to have a rather good view of Lake
Toya! If you have the cash, you may even book an around-the-lake ride on a
helicopter.
[4.56 pm] Just
1.6 kilometers away would be lake-hill farm with beds of pretty flowers in front
of an English cottage! It's more than just the highly-claimed soft-serve ice
cream; there were bunnies, pygmy horses, goat and you could even play badminton
and football on the field at the back.
The soft-serve
ice cream wasn't the highlight in my opinion; i was more taken aback by the
bursts of juiciness as i took a bite of the grilled sausage rolled into a coil!
The shop wasn't in the cottage; it's next to it and manned by a burly guy
wearing a polo shirt with the words "no meat, no life"!
[5.26 pm]
Checking in to Daiwa Ryokan; finally had separate rooms even though there was no
en-suite washroom. I can still reluctantly accept the aforementioned but i
couldn't accept no-air-conditioning and that the room had no curtain! You know
what time the sun rises in Hokkaido during summer? On average 4.30 am and my
sleep is easily disturbed by bright sunlight!
[6.55 pm] We
were too late for Sendoan (仙堂庵) at Wakasaimo store and relied on the map given
by the kind operator at Daiwa Ryokan to source for a dinner place; it shall
there be ramen at 一本亭.
[7.30 pm] As
there wasn't much to do at night in Lake Toya, we drove back to the inn and
walked towards the location of a summer festival; there were dancing, street
food and traditional Japanese market games for the
children.
The scale
wasn't big and we got bored after a while. I remember seeing a foot bath on the
map and it didn't take us long to find it! Ahhhhh.... so relaxing to have our
tired feet soaked in the mineral-rich hot spring water.
[8.45 pm]
Caught the nightly fireworks (only during summer) at Lake Toya! p.s. the
fireworks were launched on a moving boat, so be prepared to move along the
coastline. Alternatively, you may pay around S$20 per person to take the cruise
ship which would follow the fireworks.
Day Four (Monday, 07
August 2017)
Lake
Toya - Noboribetsu
[7.15 am] I
mentioned on day three that the inn didn't have curtains and this had an impact
on my sleep as i woke up insanely early. Lacking the ability to go back to bed
again, we drove out to take in the beauty of Lake Toya! We even ventured to the
Usu Volcano Global Geopark where a fairly young volcano dome, known as
Shōwa-shinzan, stood and continued fuming.
[10.00 am]
Alex persuaded the rest to check out the geopark and we took the Usuzan Ropeway
for a fantastic view of Shōwa-shinzan and Lake Toya!
[12.18 pm]
Strongly recommended - fruit picking at Sobetsu Fruit Village! A normal pack of
about 20 cherries cost 600 yen and for only 880 yen per adult, i had more than
50 cherries and countless blueberries! Definitely worth the deal. p.s. apple
wasn't included and Alex was just tasked to pose for the above
photo.
[2.33 pm]
Following a drive of less than an hour, we reached our next destination;
Noboribetsu and the first thing we did was to check into Takimoto Inn so that we
can continue our exploration of the hot spring town.
Demon statues
dotted the town and some were actually adorable! Anyway, we were in seek of a
suitable place for lunch! I had indicated ramen on my itinerary but our last
ramen was less than a day ago.
[3.56 pm] It's
hard to nail down a place when there were so many options and we eventually
settled for a mother-daughter eatery (think the name is たこ焼き 永森) where i had a
good beef bowl.
[4.28 pm]
Takimoto Inn was situated at a very convenient spot; it was at the start of the
main street in the hot spring town, beside it was the Sengen Park with a
sheltered geyser (above) and it was super close to Hell
Valley.
[4.52 pm]
There were numerous trails to check out the natural attractions like Hell Valley
(above), Mount Hiyori, Oyunuma, Oku no Yu. Even though some of the attractions
had parking facilities, the rate was expensive and i personally feel that
walking in nature is a therapeutic (and of course, healthy)
activity.
[5.56 pm]
Oyunuma Natural Footbath - a must-visit and must-do if you are in the vicinity!
After all the walking, having the feet soak in hot spring water was most
shiok!
[7.32 pm]
Dinner at いせくら; although the place was built for self-grilled food, we opted for
chef-cooked dishes instead! Mine was ginger pork set (noboribetsu whey pork
loin).
[10.00 pm]
Abandoning all shyness, i bravely stripped naked and stepped into the large
onsen bathhouse (said to be the largest in Hokkaido) managed by Dai-ichi
Takimotokan.
With seven
different bath types and numerous tubs, i must admit the experience was
mind-blowing good! I felt extremely refreshed yet at the same time, totally
relaxed when i left the onsen. Needless to say, the sleep that night was deep.
And the inn had curtains.
Day Five (Tuesday, 08
August 2017)
Noboribetsu
- Sapporo
[6.16 am]
Another round of onsen at Dai-ichi Takimotokan as i couldn't imagine leaving
without going through the experience again! On my way out, i noticed
an interesting drinking point with running hot spring
water!
[7.19 am]
Breakfast at Takimoto Inn which was covered as part of our booking; this also
made it the first time in our trip that our breakfast wasn't from the
convenience stalls.
[7.43 am]
Yuzawa Shrine; this would be my third shrine after Suitengu and i must say in
general, the simplistic Japanese shrines (especially the smaller ones) didn't
quite appeal to me.
[8.41 am] Just
like the onsen, we needed another go at the Oyunuma Natural Footbath! This time,
we drove to the carpark close to it and take a short walk. We were the only
patrons and it felt as if we owned the entire stretch of foot
bath.
[11.25 am]
Departing from Noboribetsu at 10.00 am, we split up with our four tour mates as
they would be leaving for Bangkok the next day and prefer to have more time to
explore Sapporo. For us, our intention would be the barbecued wagyu beef at Log
House Wagyu Bibi Restaurant; said to be the best in
Hokkaido!
In a nutshell,
we were 100% satisfied with what we had and the only regret was not having more.
Beside the log house is a tranquil river that have people canoeing on it. It's a
good place to chill out and there were plenty of big fishes in the river. The
serious issue i faced? I chanced upon a snake that appeared as startled as i was
scared out of my shit.
[2.40 pm]
Soothing my nerves with shopping at Mitsui Outlet Park! I was so glad i didn't
allocate more time (would have spent more) and we couldn't afford to as we
needed to return the car to the rental company by 4.30
pm!
[3.18 pm]
Drove past Sapporo TV Tower - driving in Sapporo was way more stressful given
the jam, the sheer number of cars and the many traffic lights! We were rushing
for time as it's much easier for us to check into Unizo Inn (our hotel in
Sapporo) and unload our luggage first before returning the
car!
[4.03 pm]
Stress level was up as there's no drop off point, the road outside Unizo Inn had
only a two-car lane and we still needed to pump the petrol. Whatever the case,
we conquered everything and managed to return the car before the
deadline.
[4.47 pm]
After all the stress, mostly originating from Alex, we went back to the inn
where we can take a breather and decide where to go! Love the hotel room which
was tiny but had everything i needed; curtains, air-conditioning, en-suite
bathroom, international adapter etc.
[5.23 pm]
Walking across Odori Park; after being pampered with a car for the past few
days, Alex couldn't withstand the constant travel on foot and his nagging can be
incessant! It might be easier for me to travel with my dad who loves to walk and
holds the same belief as i do.
[5.33 pm]
Tanuki Koji Shopping Street; i was expecting one short street and was shocked to
find a long stretch of seven segments that cut across 6 roads! So much to shop
and there's even the 24-hour Don Quijote (which would be setting shop in
Singapore this year)!
[8.07 pm] On
our way back as our frail Alex was exhausted from all the walking. Chanced upon
the beer fest at Odori Park and even i was tempted to indulge in a mug of cold
Hokkaido beer. Alex said no...
Day Six (Wednesday,
09 August 2017)
Sapporo
[8.17 am]
First take on the subway going to Nijiuyon-ken Station. Buying the ticket wasn't
difficult as there's an English option; however, we were split on whether to
purchase the one-day or per-trip ticket.
[8.48 am]
Objective at Nijiuyon-ken Station - source for breakfast at Jyogai Ichiba
(Sapporo Central Wholesale Market) that's known for fresh seafood and not as
touristy as the downtown Nijo Market!
What's for
breakfast? In addition to the ear of sweet Hokkaido corn, we had a satisfying
four-legged king crab and raw scallop sashimi! The meal was so filling; our next
main meal was at 5.00 pm.
[11.06 am]
After making the 15-minute walk from Maruyama Station to Maruyama Zoo, we were
devastated to find the zoo closed on that day!
[11.44 am]
Life went on and we paid our respect at Hokkaido shrine; the oldest shrine on
the island. I am usually not superstitious but i decided to ask for 'life
directions' using the O-mikuji (sacred lot). p.s. Hokkaido shrine had much more
appeal compared to the other shrines i had visited in this
trip.
[1.13 pm] Alex
was grumbling about the amount of walking and i knew i must placate him
somewhat; hence, desserts at Rokkatei which we didn't manage to have at Otaru
and thank god for its amazingly good strawberry short
cake!
[3.34 pm]
Rested 45 minutes back at Unizo Inn and we stepped out again to JR Station to
advance purchase the train tickets at to New Chitose Airport on 11 August. I had
wanted to go up to JR Tower for a panoramic view of Sapporo and was rejected by
Alex who felt that the pricing wasn't worth it. Frankly, i was secretly happy as
i figured the view would not be stunning as the building wasn't that tall at
only 173 metres.
[4.34 pm] The
Hokkaido Old Government Building - with so much walking that day, we were less
keen to visit historical buildings and our growling tummy was finally telling us
to find food.
[4.56 pm] An
early dinner (or super late lunch depending on how you see it) at Soup Curry
& Dining Suage+, ranked #1 out of 8,548 Restaurants in
Sapporo!
[5.44 pm]
Hopped onto the Sapporo Streetcar where we were on our way to take the Mount
Moiwa Ropeway which would allow us the opportunity to take in one of Japan's top
three night views. Unfortunately, we were informed that the top was too foggy
and the plan was axed.
[7.11 pm] With
plenty of time to spare, we had a shopping spree at Tanuki Koji Shopping Streets
that lasted us till over 10pm!
Day Seven (Thursday,
10 August 2017)
Sapporo
[8.37 am]
Finally had MacDonald's; to be honest, this was quite an achievement as we would
usually opt for fast food if we were undecided on what to have and that's
usually at the beginning of the journey.
[9.03 am] I
was hesitant to pencil this in my itinerary as every blog covering Hokkaido
would touch on Shiroi Koibito Park but i am so happy i did as it was almost like
a journey to Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory!
Desserts at
the Chocolate Lounge within the main building of Shiroi Koibito Park! There were
plenty to do although time was a luxury for us as it's our last night in Japan.
p.s. sugar overdose when i exited the lounge.
[Noon] Lockers
in subway stations - i never knew their convenience until i bought way too many
things at Shiroi Koibito Park and had to utilize the locker service to store the
items.
[12.27 pm] Why
can't i bring them to where i was going? Because i would be visiting Maruyama
Zoo (it's open this time) and aside for the physical exhaustion from carry bags
of stuff, there's a likelihood i would be a key target for the animals; one, for
bearing delicious snacks and two, for being slower as i would be carrying a
heavy load.
[3.19 pm] On a
budget as you near the end of your trip? Check out the generous beef bowl from
Matsuya Foods (松屋) which was comparatively cheaper at only 290 yen (less than
S$4)! Plain water was also provided for free!
[3.56 pm]
After unloading our bags of snacks back in Unizo Inn, we ventured out again and
this time round, we strolled past Sapporo Clock Tower; a wooden structure built
in the 1870s.
[4.21 pm] No
time to explore the clock tower as we were in a hurry to visit Nijo Market
before it closed for the day! It was a constant mad rush for us on day seven and
i regretted not extending my stay for a couple more
days...
[5.09 pm]
Since we didn't want to go up to JR tower, the next best alternative for a city
view would be the pink ferris wheel on top of NORBESA; an entertainment complex
at Susukino that had an internet cafe, a bowling alley, a karaoke lounge, a
large comic store etc.
[5.58 pm]
Queuing to enter Daruma Honten (ranked #8 out of 8,548 Restaurants in Sapporo)
for the mutton BBQ; the wait was an hour long and though the meal was excellent,
i would very much prefer the wagyu beef at Log House Wagyu Bibi
Restaurant.
[7.52 pm]
Signature shot of Hokkaido's night entertainment district; Susukino! Following
which would be another round of last-minute shopping before we scrambled back to
the hotel and scratched our head on how to put everything in the
luggage.
Day Eight (Friday, 11
August 2017)
Sapporo
- Bangkok
[5.55 am] All
ready to leave the hotel; with fears of exceeded baggage allowance
like what happened in Taiwan, i weighed them numerous times to ensure they were
within the allocated 30 kilograms.
[6.08 am]
Taking the underpass connecting Odori and Sapporo Station; reasons being we
would be sheltered from weather elements and the loud noise emitted from the
wheels of our luggage would not be disturbing any nearby residences. I know
right; we are so considerate! :P
[6.39 am]
Indicated to depart at 6.31 am and as promised, the train trudged out of Sapporo
JR station on time! Don't you just love the punctuality?! Contrast that with
Singapore's MRT trains where an indication of 5 minutes on the live panel may
mean much longer than 5 minutes.
[8.17 am]
Checked in the luggage (mine was 400 grams short of exceeding the limit; phew)
and explored New Chitose Airport which had a Royce's Chocolate World, a Doraemon
Sky Park and a Happy Kitty Happy Flight!
[9.03 am]
Cleared immigration and had our breakfast at the food court wing within the
departure zone of international flights; out of so much good food in Hokkaido,
this bowl of ramen took the cake for being the worst.
Those looking
for last minute Hokkaido-snack shopping would be pleased to know that you could
find a wide variety in the departure zone and you know what's the best thing?
They were all tax-free and you didn't have to commit to a minimal
amount!
[10.40 am]
Bidding our goodbyes to the beautiful, polite and clean country! You be sure i
would be back again; either to explore the other cities in Japan or to
experience a different season in Hokkaido!
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