Japan: Tokyo, Sapporo, Otaru, Teine
Winter 2016
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"Frosty the Snowman" melts in negative 7 deg. weather under Sapporo sunlight
(Feb-2016) |
Journal Entry... Reached over to pull out the in-flight magazine, as there was no in-flight entertainment aboard #FlyPal to Narita. Front cover stared back at me saying, "Last Chance for Winter... Skiing in Seoul... Toasty cocktails in New York... Japan's enchanting ice village..." I grinned back at it, since I was on my way to one of it.
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| Two Peas in Tokyo |
29-jan: MNL-Tokyo leg... Had a bit of a learning from that last Manila-Tokyo leg via #SingaporeAir- where transit took a day because of the Changi layover schedule (that also required checking in at an airport hotel from a late evening flight arrival and next morning outbound flight), which had me on jet lag for days.
For indeed the shortest route Manila-Tokyo is a straight flight plan. This time, #FlyPAL transit time Manila-Tokyo only took 4 hours... never mind its lack of in-flight entertainment. Check-in: #HiltonTokyo.
In the next 48 hours from arrival, hubby and I had some serious shopping for winter gear to do. We had "snowmobile and ski activities" lined up in Hokkaido. Coming from the tropics, hubby and I had about none of those winter gear appropriate for negative temperature. Best time to shop for winter gear in Tokyo is at winter's tail end- February - when prices have been marked down up to 70% off; locating great deals is in the hands of a bargain hunter. Done!
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| Two Peas in Sapporo |
31-jan: Touchdown Hokkaido...
Shinkansen (Japanese tullet train) was still on its countdown to the March 26, 2016 initial run... Meanwhile, #ANADreamliner made a smooth landing down to New Chitose airport one hour later, amidst the snow-covered surroundings. Air transit went through clear skies and cotton clouds... it was one of those rare occasions I'd see winter all bright and cheerful. Japan is not called the "Land of the Rising Sun" for no reason. During the Tokyo takeoff, it was a sight to see the ground crew facing our taxiing plane waving us off, and bowing down - a typical Japanese culture.
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"Snoopy" ice sculpture
at Odori Park |
Hubby and I took the express train to Sapporo, from New Chitose airport, in Hokkaido. Check-in: Cross Hotel. Hotel was three blocks from Sapporo station, so we decided to walk it. Walking per se is not a problem, but walking on slippery ice is. Snow would come falling at night covering the ground by daybreak, and begins to melt under the Sapporo sun turning to crust and slush. Treading on fresh snow is such a delight, but it gets tricky with crust and slush. Locals hurried on the sidewalk as if ice skating. Those without ice skating skills, like me, boot traction is a must. Pulling my heavy luggage, and making baby steps, I made it to the hotel safely.
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| Sapporo Snow Festival 2016, featuring igloos at the park |
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| Snow sculptures in the works two days before the Sapporo Snow Festival 2016 |
1-feb: Sapporo sunrise & Otaru sunset... Rise and shine, it's hubby's birthday! Phone alarm went on beeping at 8AM. Hubby put his phone an arm's length away, making it impossible for me to reach for the Snooze button. The "snowmobile" schedule was at 10AM. A full, bright sun was up in the sky, it was a perfect day to be outdoors... never mind the negative degree temperature in Sapporo.
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| Snowcapped mountains makes for a picturesque scene in Nishi |
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| Gearing up for a snowmobile ride to 600m above sea level |
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| Two Peas in Nishi |
After our half-day snowmobile workout through the Nishi mountain course, hubby and I caught up on a train ride to Otaru. That non-express train was a scenic ride by the ocean...
Meanwhile, Hokkaido temperature was fast dropping to minus -7 degrees. My hands was about numb from the extreme cold, it felt like my hands were being pricked by needles every time I took off my gloves to take photos from a touch screen iPhone; at one point, my hands stayed numb a while I panicked. Those Columbia gloves with touch screen feature, I purchased in Tokyo, did not work. iPhone battery charge was also draining faster than normal from the cold outdoors, I turned it off.
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| Postcard Otaru canal landmark |
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Tempura meal
at Wakisaka |
Hubby and I reached Otaru by 3PM. Looked for a place to eat for lunch. We came across the #TempuraWakisaka kiosk, just across the street from Otaru Canal... but when I slid the door open, the unmistakably Japanese chef said automatically, "Sorry, we are closed." Kiosk sign, read: 11AM-2PM. Seeing the tempura meal choices, I had my mind set to it, so I awaited for the kiosk reopening by 5PM. Foodie verdict: "If there's one perfect tempura batter in Otaru, it's at Tempura Wakisaka." Got a taste of Wakisaka's "Best of Tempura", Hokkaido crabs included. Hubby and I stayed a short while for the Otaru canal night scene, before heading back to Sapporo as the cold night air had become unbearable.
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| Two Peas in Teine |
3-feb: Skiing in Teine... Braving for more adventure in the snow, hubby and I hit the slopes up Teine mountains, to ski. But, did I mention, I can't skate? I thought, "What could be difficult about skiing with two poles- one on the right hand and the other on the left hand -for balancing act on skis?" Easier said than done; either a practice makes perfect thing, or... I'd just downgrade myself to a snowboard next time. I managed to get back to ground level from the Beginner's slope without a scratch, only a hurting ego doing more of walking, than skiing, the slopes, which nonetheless deserves a Kawaii photo-op!
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| Powder snow for winter sports at Mount Teine |
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| Mount Teine, the site of the 1972 Asian Winter Olympics Game |
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| Night scene up Mount Teine by sundown (5PM) in winter |
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| Check-out Cross Hotel |
When in Sapporo, must-eat the Hokkaido way. Thanks to Google maps, hubby and I found these spots:
#JingisukanDarumaRokuyon - for Genghis Khan Japanese Mongolian BBQ
#Kura - for Hokkaido-style miso ramen
#Hanamaru - for Kaiten sushi
#LeTao - for Double chocolate cheese cake
#Royce - for chocolates
#Hokkaido-style soft serve ice cream
'Cause there's no such thing as diet on a travel*wink;)
Until... "Sayonara, Hokkaido!" Flight check: ANA62, 12:30PM, Tokyo.
4-feb: At home in Tokyo... Check-in #CenturySouthernTower. It went beyond a familiar feeling returning to the hotel for the nth time. Hotel offered a grand 180-degree vista from whichever side. On our return, hubby booked the corner room on the East side facing the parks, as well as the Tokyo Skytree and Tokyo Tower.
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| Hotel with a view-- Tokyo skyline and the parks on the East side |
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Hachiko statue
at Shibuya crossing |
I got asked one time why hubby and I keep coming back to Tokyo. Because Tokyo reminds me of the Big Apple (NYC), I said, which is my other happy place, and Tokyo is a short flight away, from Manila. Tokyo is the Asian version to NYC's bright lights, big city, the only difference is seeing signs in Japanese. There's a Century Southern Tower looking like NYC's Flat Iron bldg., Shibuya crossing like NYC's Times Square, and in Odaiba, a Statue of Liberty replica overlooks the river like NYC's Statue of Liberty on the Hudson river. In Tokyo, it's always a Kawaii! moment, all day and everyday.
oOo
PHOTOSTITCH
#Japan #Tokyo #winter2016
