Hokkaido part 2

The majority of Sunday was spent at Sato Land. It’s basically a huge playground made of snow with kids running around everywhere. There were huge slides, sledding areas, snowman making areas, a snow mobile ride, and a giant snow maze. Brita, Emma, Jay and myself wondered about a bit contemplating what lines to wait in (but most of them were going to be almost 2 hours), we finally decided on the snow maze because the line was only about 15 minutes.

lots of little snowmen


me in pain looking into the sun


typical Japanese concession stands


The thing was amazing we actually really didn't realize how big it was before we went in. Some place the walls were probably about 20 feet high



others were a lot lower, and I could totally cheat and see over them


view from the top of the maze (it had levels!)


Once inside we spent a ridiculous amount of time playing around and taking cheesy pics. It was a lot of fun!

Brita, Jay, myself, and Emma




And while taking this photos, a press photographer came up and wanted to take pictures of our pose (so we are probably some kind of celebrities in Hokkaido now! ha).


After our day in the snow playground, everyone was headed back to the hotel to get ready for the Enkai (all you can eat lamb party) that I had opted out of. So I headed to the art museum. It was nothing spectacular, but there was actually a Japanese architecture exhibit going on, and I happened to choose the time and day when all of the architects themselves were there doing different things. Which was pretty interesting. Too bad I didn't really know who they were, or really able to understand that much of it all (too much kanji!). Also meandered around the main snow sculpture area some more.







ramen for dinner! yum


Eventually I made my way back to meet up with the group after their dinner. Met them at a ferris wheel on top of a building in the middle of the city. It had been decided that this would be a nice way to see the city at night. We all enjoyed and appreciated the sight of city lights, compared to our normal inaka homes (country).

unfortunatly these didn't turn out all that great



After this a group of about 5 of us decided to stay out and see what night life there was to be found in the city (a bunch of the others had decided they were going to go snowboarding again on Monday, so they wanted to make it an early night). It was a great night, lots of random Japanese places were discovered.

Ramen breakfast


and then after checking out of our hotel, Joel, Nate, Emma, Katie and myself decided to check out the chocolate factory, on the outskirts of town at the base of mountains, that is famous for producing shirokoibito chocolate (white lovers chocolate, not sure why the name). This factory was kind of a strange European building with Japanese quirks. But you did kind of feel like you were headed into Wonka’s chocolate factory, because songs would play and all of the things in the garden area outside would sing and dance (including the trash can!) not to mention the overwhelming smell of chocolate as you approached the building.

















After going through the tour, indulging in a chocolaty snack, and stocking up on omiyagi (obligatory edible gifts for coworkers) we headed back to the center of the snow festival.

We ventured up the clock tower at the center of the main park to get a great view of all of the snow sculptures and city in general. Walked around a bit more.

These pics aren't too wonderful, it was snowing, freezing and really windy at the top of the tower! but you can see the main park where all the sculptures were.






We were all pretty tired by this time, so we were in search of a restaurant we could sit in until our train headed for the ferry left. We found a tiny little curry shop, that served the infamous Hokkaido Soup Curry. And all I can say is amazing! It could have been because we were freezing, hungry and tired but this meal was great, and really wish there was somewhere around here I could get some soup curry. It was a curry broth with veggies, tandoor chicken, and cheese. We were all skeptical but all in awe by the end.

Yum!


Finally we met the rest of the group at the train station, to begin our journey home.

It was pretty sad, I don't think that any of us wanted to go home!


But once again we enjoyed our ferry home, and arrived home after a pretty exhausting weekend, pretty well rested and refreshed from our onboard onsen!

All in all, a pretty great trip. Time to start planning my next excursion!

yuki matsuri! (snow festival in hokkaido)

I realize that I'm a little late getting to this post, but the reality is I have been slightly overwhelmed by it. gomenne.


My trip to Hokkaido for the Snow Festival was amazing. It was refreshing to get away for a bit, especially since it was to a place that really did feel like a winter wonderland. And in addition got to hang out with a bunch of people that came to Ibaraki on JET at the same time as me, but haven’t really had too much of a chance to hang out with since our week in Tokyo back in August and a few odd meetings here and there.

The 15 of us, on the trip, headed out on Thursday evening to Hokkaido, via a 19-hour ferry. I was really dreading this experience but it turned out to be great. We had three 8-person cabins between us all on the ferry. They were cozy but fairly nice, as was the whole boat. We spent the evening hanging around playing some poker, talking, getting kicked out of the kids play ground area (even though there were no children on board and it was 1 am), and eventually an arm wrestling competition was held.

poker


John and I arm wrestling (I won!)


In the morning we awoke and were able to enjoy the on board onsen (public baths in Japan, with: shower facilities, hot bath, sauna room, cold bath). It was pretty amazing actually. I mean to be relaxing in a hot tub looking out the ship windows onto the infinite view of the arctic sea (can’t really complain). We arrived to Hokkaido rested, refreshed, and ready to explore.

view from the very windy ferry






We ventured to the hotel via train from the ferry terminal, dropped are things and took off again. By the time we got to the hotel it was late in the afternoon and we were all pretty hungry and wanting to see the sculptures!

this ones for you dad, haha. like being home at the port right (minus the mountains of snow)


foreigners take over the train station


it was snowing pretty hard when we got in (view from the train)


Our first order of business was finding our way to Ramen Alley!


Hokkaido is famous for miso ramen, and this one alley is full of tiny (I mean about 6 people max could fit in a shop) ramen shops.


We all split up ate and met up afterward around the ice sculptures.

We walked around for the majority of that evening. Taking in the impressive, massive snow sculptures. There were light shows, performances and entertainers all around on these snow sculptures. It was all quite a show.

Narnia?


It's a small world






Tom, Nate, Katie, Emma, Joel, and myself


We lost groups of people along the way to various warmer locations (coffee shops, bars…), I believe that the group I was with lasted the longest outside (but we did find a gigantic starbucks tent along the way that we had to stop by to warm up!)


We eventually met up with a bunch of the other people at some small bar, because it really was pretty cold out! This is the sign that was out front, oh English translations, you have to love them!


Saturday was a very early morning, as we had to head 2 hours out of Sapporo to Niseko to go skiing/snowboarding. I had originally planned not to go skiing, so didn’t actually bring anything with me. But, was convinced at the last minute to go, and had to rent everything! But glad I went, it was gorgeous up in the mountains, and fun to be back on skis. I wish I were a lot better though, still having issues with that feeling not in control thing.



On the lift...




pig on the mountain (petting zoo advertisement)


me in my lovely (too big) rented ski gear





The day was fun. But one friend, actually the guy that I had been hanging out with all day, Joel, cut his leg with his ski somehow. It was actually a pretty bad cut along his shin, but he had no idea it had happened until I pointed it out when we were taking off our skis at the end of the day. He eventually had to head to the hospital and get it stitched up. But no worries, he has healed up fine!

We headed back to the hotel that evening, freshened up then headed back out, of course. A group of us girls headed for kaiten sushi (rotary sushi), which was pretty amazing (such thick pieces of tuna) and ridiculously cheap.


we wandered around a bit. the girls: Brita, Me, Emma, Taryn, and Katie (missing the other emma).


And eventually met up with some others at a Cuban restaurant that served up a delicious drink they called a Capriana (but can’t really say that's what I thought it was). And made by a Japanese, Cuban cowboy? (dont know what was up with the costume)



ok im leaving it at that for now, i have the rest typed up but dont want to post without pics and this has been taking me too long. part two to come soon.