Day 5 (The Long-ass Haul, OMFG)
So to get home, I had to leave the hotel at 6am T-T. Unfortunately, this also meant I didn’t wake up early enough to get my ass in the onsen one more time. *sigh* I feel like I wasted my reservation at the onsen… and that was some money down the drain… oh well, learn from experience? I gotta say, with all the fuck-ups that happened during this trip, I am still glad it happened this way. I felt like I gained a lot of experience, and just became a smidjet more independent. First vacation alone, that’s a big step, right?
Anyways, so the last day was all about getting back to Morioka. In short, my schedule looked like this:
Noboribetsu à Oshamambe (6:57 - 8:52)
Waited for 2 hours. No, I’m not kidding. I woke up butt fuckin early to wait in a town that has nothing. *sigh* I tried to do something, so I walked to the beach, and wow… it was soo freakin ugly! So I stood there, next to the beach, and ate my onigiri. HUZZAH!
Oshamambe --> Hakodate (10:43 - 13:25)
I was able to BS here a little. Walked around the fisherman’s market, bought some more things at the souvenir shop (need…to stop…. SHOPPING!!!!). Something weird happened at the station though; I was in the souvenir shop, and outside I heard this load moaning/screaming. I thought someone was kicked or being abused, so I kinda hustled out of there. Instead of what I assumed, I found an older woman and a middle age man in front of the vending machine. The man is mentally handicapped, and something happened while picking his drink and he started to throw a fit. It was really distracting. The area was full of people, but just with this publicly embarrassing sight, everyone cleared the hell out of the way.
Hakodate --> Kikonai( 14:44- 15:50)
Kikonai --> Kanita ( 16:19 - 17:09)
OMFG…… So since I am using my train pass, it counts towards unreserved seats. Well, this is the first time I EVER had to stand the entire trip!! It sucked so hard.. I wasn’t alone, everyone who was at the Kikonai train platform was standing with me. Sooo glad that’s over with.
Kanita --> Aomori (17:30 - 18:11)
Aomori --> Hachinohe (18:51 - 20:21)
Hachinohe --> Morioka (20:46 - 22:22)
I DON’T WANT TO TRAVEL LIKE THAT EVERY AGAIN!!!!! Well, at least not alone. Really though, I feel like my butt is bruised from today, what the hell. I didn’t hate it too much because other than riding my bike, this is the transportation I have available to me. I’m starting to warm up to the idea of a car, but god that’s too much money to put down. I really need to be saving more.
On that note, what the hell should I do for the rest of my summer break? All I know is that there is a cake tabehoudai and a boat-fire festival on the 16th, but that’s it. Furthermore what should I do for my September vacation?! I gotta start planning… haruumm……
If you got this far, congratulations! I’m soo proud of you!! X3
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Hokkaido! Day 3
Day 3: Sapporo --> Asahikawa --> Furano --> Nakafurano
Thank goodness I didn’t fuck up this time!! Found my train on time! Only weird thing about this trip is that they said there was a transfer at one point, but there wasn’t. So I got off the train with all my luggage…. And got right back on, hahahaa. Oh well, found a better seat the second time. So I got to Asahikawa right on time and found the bus to get to the zoo. I was sooo excited!! Soon I would see my adorable red panda, wewt!!! Unfortunately I didn’t get a seat on the bus, so I had to stand for I believe 20 minutes, bleh. Oh well. Once I got there I decided to try and see everything. Honestly, the only things I skipped were the reptile house (omg it was sooo small, not even worth it), and the big monkey house. Of course this zoo is known for having some interesting views for certain animals. For the seals, there is a tube that you can stand next to, and they occasionally swim in-and-out of. For the penguins, you can see them close underwater. Both the polar bears and the wolves have a place where you can pop your head up and be really close to them. Expect for the wolves, EVERYTHING HAD A HUGE ASS LINE. And I mean HUGE! With how hot it was (27.5), I didn’t want to waste time on MAYBE being able to see something. I really felt bad for all the animals too, because it was soo hot! Nothing really wanted to more around, poor guys. The little red pandas were adorable, but they looked miserable. One was in a tree (omg soooo cute!), another was hiding in tall grass, and the last was in his house, completely sprawled out and trying to just rest in the shade. Same with the lion and tiger, they were hunched up in a corner, because it was the only place with shade. Of course, I had to see like 3 different animals take a pee (the giraffes, which as ONE was peeing, the other one decided to take a look…*sigh*; the ostriches , and the monkeys). The spider monkeys were pretty amusing, since I saw them during feeding time and they were really goofy. Like, walking on its hind legs like a person and begging for food. Spider monkeys were okay but the others… well… let’s just say cleaning butts isn’t that interesting to me. Another random point about this trip is that I saw a lot of naked little kids…. There was a fountain that seemed like it was okay for kids to walk into and climb, like stairs. But man, the kids just went al out and took off everything. I was kinda surprised. No one else around me really seemed that way though. Haruuum.
So after I walked all over, sweating my ass off, I was about an hour ahead of schedule and decided to make it back to the station and just head out to Furano. Funny thing about this is, I wanted to go see Tomita farm this day. Well, I got off at the wrong station to do that, and instead I went to visit the winery. They had a free taste-testing of their wines, all pretty delicious. But go figure, I am the person who wants the really sweet desert wine. I actually bought two bottles; but now I wonder if they actually sell that brand in Morioka. If so, that would of saved me some stress from lugging these all around. Oh well. As I waited for the bus to take me back, I took a little walk around the winery. There are two large areas that are assigned for the lavenders, but they were already out of season. Still, the smell was very distinct. I came across a little forest near the restaurant, and it hit me; there were a million moths!! I think this is just true for all of Furano, they were everywhere! Many different species too, from the looks of it. It gave the whole area a really mysterious feeling, like I was in a movie or something. Some girls that were also at the winery found them annoying as hell, but they didn’t bother me at all. Everyone just has a different thing that triggers them. For example, I -hate- spiders on me. *shudders*. Anyways, the bus finally took me back to Furano Station, but I had to backtrack to Naka-Furano (ugh, I feel stupid for missing this). Before I did this I decided to spend some more time in town, so I browsed the souvenir shops. Then I saw on the local map that a restaurant had “Cheese RAMEN”. o_O. OMFG I’m all over that like a hobo on a ham sandwich. LOL. Once I had it though, I will admit, it was definitely tasty BUT it wasn’t as good as the butter-corn ramen I had. *sigh* Cultural cuisine experience, must think my $13 went for that reason!! But now I felt all “darui” and lazy so I needed to get back to the station and head to Naka-Furano. From here I had a really vague map to get me to the hostel, but I somehow made it. What sucked donkey balls though was that the entire transit was UPHILL. With al my friggen luggage. I was sooo sweaty once I got there. LOL. The youth hostel in Furano is really something! It has such a cool and unique feel to it. They don’t hide any of the construction; if anything, that’s the design of the whole place. Unpainted wood, dumb-bell attached to the door to make sure it closes, sliding ply-wood doors. And even though it was so unique, I felt like I was in Japan because of the bath- finally, a sit down shower and a tub!! I was in heaven! I was in a girl dorm room though, and since I was the last one to arrive, I was thrown upstairs with two others LOL. It was hard climbing those stairs, it was a ladder, and the steps were steep! Oh well, I was able to do it. Night-time in Furano seems a little magical, because all of the moths are out, and its just the PERFECT temperature! Not the slightest sign of being humid, just a soft, cool breeze. I didn’t want to leave here. If anything, just visiting this hostel makes me want to have one of my own in a town like Furano. Who knows, I haven’t fully decided what I want to do with my future yet. X3. I also spent some time on the hammock outside before I finally passed out (which was really early, 10:45!!).
Thank goodness I didn’t fuck up this time!! Found my train on time! Only weird thing about this trip is that they said there was a transfer at one point, but there wasn’t. So I got off the train with all my luggage…. And got right back on, hahahaa. Oh well, found a better seat the second time. So I got to Asahikawa right on time and found the bus to get to the zoo. I was sooo excited!! Soon I would see my adorable red panda, wewt!!! Unfortunately I didn’t get a seat on the bus, so I had to stand for I believe 20 minutes, bleh. Oh well. Once I got there I decided to try and see everything. Honestly, the only things I skipped were the reptile house (omg it was sooo small, not even worth it), and the big monkey house. Of course this zoo is known for having some interesting views for certain animals. For the seals, there is a tube that you can stand next to, and they occasionally swim in-and-out of. For the penguins, you can see them close underwater. Both the polar bears and the wolves have a place where you can pop your head up and be really close to them. Expect for the wolves, EVERYTHING HAD A HUGE ASS LINE. And I mean HUGE! With how hot it was (27.5), I didn’t want to waste time on MAYBE being able to see something. I really felt bad for all the animals too, because it was soo hot! Nothing really wanted to more around, poor guys. The little red pandas were adorable, but they looked miserable. One was in a tree (omg soooo cute!), another was hiding in tall grass, and the last was in his house, completely sprawled out and trying to just rest in the shade. Same with the lion and tiger, they were hunched up in a corner, because it was the only place with shade. Of course, I had to see like 3 different animals take a pee (the giraffes, which as ONE was peeing, the other one decided to take a look…*sigh*; the ostriches , and the monkeys). The spider monkeys were pretty amusing, since I saw them during feeding time and they were really goofy. Like, walking on its hind legs like a person and begging for food. Spider monkeys were okay but the others… well… let’s just say cleaning butts isn’t that interesting to me. Another random point about this trip is that I saw a lot of naked little kids…. There was a fountain that seemed like it was okay for kids to walk into and climb, like stairs. But man, the kids just went al out and took off everything. I was kinda surprised. No one else around me really seemed that way though. Haruuum.
So after I walked all over, sweating my ass off, I was about an hour ahead of schedule and decided to make it back to the station and just head out to Furano. Funny thing about this is, I wanted to go see Tomita farm this day. Well, I got off at the wrong station to do that, and instead I went to visit the winery. They had a free taste-testing of their wines, all pretty delicious. But go figure, I am the person who wants the really sweet desert wine. I actually bought two bottles; but now I wonder if they actually sell that brand in Morioka. If so, that would of saved me some stress from lugging these all around. Oh well. As I waited for the bus to take me back, I took a little walk around the winery. There are two large areas that are assigned for the lavenders, but they were already out of season. Still, the smell was very distinct. I came across a little forest near the restaurant, and it hit me; there were a million moths!! I think this is just true for all of Furano, they were everywhere! Many different species too, from the looks of it. It gave the whole area a really mysterious feeling, like I was in a movie or something. Some girls that were also at the winery found them annoying as hell, but they didn’t bother me at all. Everyone just has a different thing that triggers them. For example, I -hate- spiders on me. *shudders*. Anyways, the bus finally took me back to Furano Station, but I had to backtrack to Naka-Furano (ugh, I feel stupid for missing this). Before I did this I decided to spend some more time in town, so I browsed the souvenir shops. Then I saw on the local map that a restaurant had “Cheese RAMEN”. o_O. OMFG I’m all over that like a hobo on a ham sandwich. LOL. Once I had it though, I will admit, it was definitely tasty BUT it wasn’t as good as the butter-corn ramen I had. *sigh* Cultural cuisine experience, must think my $13 went for that reason!! But now I felt all “darui” and lazy so I needed to get back to the station and head to Naka-Furano. From here I had a really vague map to get me to the hostel, but I somehow made it. What sucked donkey balls though was that the entire transit was UPHILL. With al my friggen luggage. I was sooo sweaty once I got there. LOL. The youth hostel in Furano is really something! It has such a cool and unique feel to it. They don’t hide any of the construction; if anything, that’s the design of the whole place. Unpainted wood, dumb-bell attached to the door to make sure it closes, sliding ply-wood doors. And even though it was so unique, I felt like I was in Japan because of the bath- finally, a sit down shower and a tub!! I was in heaven! I was in a girl dorm room though, and since I was the last one to arrive, I was thrown upstairs with two others LOL. It was hard climbing those stairs, it was a ladder, and the steps were steep! Oh well, I was able to do it. Night-time in Furano seems a little magical, because all of the moths are out, and its just the PERFECT temperature! Not the slightest sign of being humid, just a soft, cool breeze. I didn’t want to leave here. If anything, just visiting this hostel makes me want to have one of my own in a town like Furano. Who knows, I haven’t fully decided what I want to do with my future yet. X3. I also spent some time on the hammock outside before I finally passed out (which was really early, 10:45!!).
Hokkaido! Day 4
Day 4- Furano --> Niboribetsu
I guess since everyone went to bed so early, everyone decided to wake up early. I was just in the last 5 minutes of breakfast, but they were already cleaning up everything, so I just grabbed a piece of bread. The owner caught me as I was leaving the kitchen/living area, and said he could get something but I told him now to worry. I felt bad for sleeping in soo late anyways!! Regardless I still had to get ready to make it to Farm Tomita, huzzah!! By foot from the hostel it’s only 15-20 minutes, but I remembered on their website they mentioned having a bike. They lent it to me and I was able to get to the farm in about 10 minutes. On the way, I found another flower garden. Half of I was lilacs, and those flowers were already out of season so only half of the field was blooming. Still it was very beautiful! Got some glamour shots in there (but man I need to study up on my photography again, I feel like my picture style is very repetitive and uninspiring). Then I made it to Farm Tomita. I think I put this place on a pedestal, because once I got there, I wasn’t -very- moved. They had some very interesting food ( pumpkin croquette, lavender ice-cream, Hokkaido-milk pudding, mango ice-cream, and though it may not be unique, the potato and butter was delicious!). For some reason there were a ton of people at the farm who could speak Chinese, which took me a second to grasp. Guess there was a tour going on. Farm Tomita has another area of land to go around, but omg… 4 ½ miles away, didn’t wanna bike that, so I just headed to the hostel. Since I went through the farm soo quickly, I had some time to burn. Check out at the hostel was at 9:30, so when I came back, I asked if I could just wait for the train and use the internet. To my surprise they said no!! I mean, I understand its not with policy, but just to make sure my train times were correct and burn an hour…. Damn they be strict. I really do love the feel and atmosphere of this hostel, but just that last request left a sour taste in my mouth. Oh well. So I had to leave and lug all my luggage to the station. This time at least it was downhill! When I boarded the train at Naka-Furano, I was able to catch the old-school train that they only run during the summer. It goes a little slower too, but you’re supposed to be enjoying the view. It was pretty, and I felt pretty relaxed. Once I got to Furano, I had to wait a little bit until I could head out to Noboribetsu. All I gotta say is…wow…. Everything ‘futsu-denshya”, god it takes FOREVER. I will have ass bruises by the end of this trip!! LOL. Usually I can ride a train and not be soo ancy, but I really wanted to make it in time for dinner and then hit the onsen X3. So after.. *gulp* 6 hours…. I got to Noboribetsu. Getting here soo late really cut my plans to see Hell Valley *sigh*, but oh well, after all this traveling, I was about to be pampered a little, huzzah! Random story: so I knew the onsen area wasn’t next to the train station, and I could either go by bus or my taxi. I knew the bus fare would be around 400 yen, but I wasn’t sure about the taxi. So, I asked. And, yet again, another Japanese guy got really shitty with me! WTF man, I don’t want them to bend backwards for me, but this seems a little ridiculous. What happened to being passive and polite? I’m being more “nihon-poi”, gyaaaaa. After he was shitty I just started walking away, and he was like “Aren’t you going to ride??”. >0< Good lord what a dumbass. So I got on the bus, and with the help of another woman riding (poor thing, her arm was in a sling), I found the stop I needed to get off on. Unfortunately for me, I had to climb uphill some more. God I’m gonna have the beefiest legs in the world after all of this. If anyone ever asks “Where’s the beef”, I’ll pop up and go “right here!. Anyways, so I checked in, get to my room, and…. Omg there are two beds?!?! I went downstairs to ask about this and it turns out that the hotel has absolutely NO SINGLE occupancy rooms. Ugh. And this is the hotel I reserved with JTB. Oh well.. I was able to eat at the buffet in time; pretty good food, but nothing outstanding. Then I hauled ass next door to get in the onsen. You see, I was at the Takamoto Inn. This is separate from the Dai Ichi Takamoto. In short, I was in the crappy hotel, LOL. But I still was able to use the other hotel’s onsen, WHEW. And at first I thought they said it would close at 10, which I was like WTF after dinner its 8, what do I do?!?! They are actually open 24/7, so again, whew!! It was kinda impressive to see the onsen; they had 9 different types of baths you can go in both indoor and outdoor. Differences included sulfur, temperature, and effect. They also had 2 sauna rooms. I think my two favorite baths were the waterfall and the “bijin no onsen”. The waterfall was fantastic for the shoulders, because it was just the rough type of massage I needed. The other was a mixture of sulfur and magnesium; it was a medium-green colored bath, but it was just the right temperature for me. I went in once, and after that, donned my hotel yukata and walked around the shops. They have soo many different souvenirs, but I was really surprised with how difficult it was to find a spiffy demon statue. I actually didn’t buy one in the end, because they all looked a little too retarded LOL. I did get a gift for my sister and a hello kitty phone charm to help my collection. God I really am obsessed, ha-ha. But I will have a ton by time I leave Japan. After I shopped around, I hopped back into the onsen, and then passed out in my room. At least I’m getting a little stronger against feeling light-headed after a good soak! :D
I guess since everyone went to bed so early, everyone decided to wake up early. I was just in the last 5 minutes of breakfast, but they were already cleaning up everything, so I just grabbed a piece of bread. The owner caught me as I was leaving the kitchen/living area, and said he could get something but I told him now to worry. I felt bad for sleeping in soo late anyways!! Regardless I still had to get ready to make it to Farm Tomita, huzzah!! By foot from the hostel it’s only 15-20 minutes, but I remembered on their website they mentioned having a bike. They lent it to me and I was able to get to the farm in about 10 minutes. On the way, I found another flower garden. Half of I was lilacs, and those flowers were already out of season so only half of the field was blooming. Still it was very beautiful! Got some glamour shots in there (but man I need to study up on my photography again, I feel like my picture style is very repetitive and uninspiring). Then I made it to Farm Tomita. I think I put this place on a pedestal, because once I got there, I wasn’t -very- moved. They had some very interesting food ( pumpkin croquette, lavender ice-cream, Hokkaido-milk pudding, mango ice-cream, and though it may not be unique, the potato and butter was delicious!). For some reason there were a ton of people at the farm who could speak Chinese, which took me a second to grasp. Guess there was a tour going on. Farm Tomita has another area of land to go around, but omg… 4 ½ miles away, didn’t wanna bike that, so I just headed to the hostel. Since I went through the farm soo quickly, I had some time to burn. Check out at the hostel was at 9:30, so when I came back, I asked if I could just wait for the train and use the internet. To my surprise they said no!! I mean, I understand its not with policy, but just to make sure my train times were correct and burn an hour…. Damn they be strict. I really do love the feel and atmosphere of this hostel, but just that last request left a sour taste in my mouth. Oh well. So I had to leave and lug all my luggage to the station. This time at least it was downhill! When I boarded the train at Naka-Furano, I was able to catch the old-school train that they only run during the summer. It goes a little slower too, but you’re supposed to be enjoying the view. It was pretty, and I felt pretty relaxed. Once I got to Furano, I had to wait a little bit until I could head out to Noboribetsu. All I gotta say is…wow…. Everything ‘futsu-denshya”, god it takes FOREVER. I will have ass bruises by the end of this trip!! LOL. Usually I can ride a train and not be soo ancy, but I really wanted to make it in time for dinner and then hit the onsen X3. So after.. *gulp* 6 hours…. I got to Noboribetsu. Getting here soo late really cut my plans to see Hell Valley *sigh*, but oh well, after all this traveling, I was about to be pampered a little, huzzah! Random story: so I knew the onsen area wasn’t next to the train station, and I could either go by bus or my taxi. I knew the bus fare would be around 400 yen, but I wasn’t sure about the taxi. So, I asked. And, yet again, another Japanese guy got really shitty with me! WTF man, I don’t want them to bend backwards for me, but this seems a little ridiculous. What happened to being passive and polite? I’m being more “nihon-poi”, gyaaaaa. After he was shitty I just started walking away, and he was like “Aren’t you going to ride??”. >0< Good lord what a dumbass. So I got on the bus, and with the help of another woman riding (poor thing, her arm was in a sling), I found the stop I needed to get off on. Unfortunately for me, I had to climb uphill some more. God I’m gonna have the beefiest legs in the world after all of this. If anyone ever asks “Where’s the beef”, I’ll pop up and go “right here!. Anyways, so I checked in, get to my room, and…. Omg there are two beds?!?! I went downstairs to ask about this and it turns out that the hotel has absolutely NO SINGLE occupancy rooms. Ugh. And this is the hotel I reserved with JTB. Oh well.. I was able to eat at the buffet in time; pretty good food, but nothing outstanding. Then I hauled ass next door to get in the onsen. You see, I was at the Takamoto Inn. This is separate from the Dai Ichi Takamoto. In short, I was in the crappy hotel, LOL. But I still was able to use the other hotel’s onsen, WHEW. And at first I thought they said it would close at 10, which I was like WTF after dinner its 8, what do I do?!?! They are actually open 24/7, so again, whew!! It was kinda impressive to see the onsen; they had 9 different types of baths you can go in both indoor and outdoor. Differences included sulfur, temperature, and effect. They also had 2 sauna rooms. I think my two favorite baths were the waterfall and the “bijin no onsen”. The waterfall was fantastic for the shoulders, because it was just the rough type of massage I needed. The other was a mixture of sulfur and magnesium; it was a medium-green colored bath, but it was just the right temperature for me. I went in once, and after that, donned my hotel yukata and walked around the shops. They have soo many different souvenirs, but I was really surprised with how difficult it was to find a spiffy demon statue. I actually didn’t buy one in the end, because they all looked a little too retarded LOL. I did get a gift for my sister and a hello kitty phone charm to help my collection. God I really am obsessed, ha-ha. But I will have a ton by time I leave Japan. After I shopped around, I hopped back into the onsen, and then passed out in my room. At least I’m getting a little stronger against feeling light-headed after a good soak! :D
Hokkaido! Day 2
Day 2: Hakodate --> Onuma Park --> Otaru --> Sapporo
I was able to get a good, sound night’s sleep and make it out of the hotel and to the train station in good time. I now had the laboring task of taking all local trains from Hakodate to Otaru (I believe 3-4 transfers, a total of 6-7 hours commuting). Well, I made it to Onuma, where I was supposed to transfer to another train, but NOOOOO, I’m the dumbass that stays on the train. So I found myself at Onuma Quasi-National Park, a mountain overlooking a lake with over 100 islands. It was nice to see from the train, but unless you want to go hiking or take a bike-trail, it’s not worth the visit. Furthermore, trains do not frequent here often. So once you get here, you are stuck for a while. Ugh, damn my luck!! What made this even more frustrating is when I asked if they had a time-book here so I could re-route my schedule, they didn’t have one either! WTF NIHONZ, GET YURSELF TOGETHER! So I had to take the next train ALL the way back to Hakodate, and then start all over. Unfortunately I didn’t have a time chart with me, and I was running behind schedule, so I checked how much a Limited Express train was to Sapporo… and just gave in LOL. F’in a man I almost fee like my Hokkaido pass was worthless when I did that. But I learned, and had to pay for my mistake, both literally and figuratively. I had a very comfortable ride though, was either in-and-out of sleep or reading my book. Yes, it’s a friggen miracle, I’m back to reading. And GOD I loooove The Incarnations of Immortality series, wewt to being a fantasy nerd!! X3.
I made it to Sapporo in great time, and then had to figure out how to get to Otaru. There was a train leaving relatively soon , so I threw my luggage in a coin locker, walked to the infamous Clock Tower, and made my way back to the station before it left. I like it when I can kill two birds with one stone, woohoo! I felt stupid on the train, because after I was sitting for about 5 minutes, I realized that I was in a “priority seat”, technically for people who are old (the image had a person with a cane PLUS his spine is bent oddly. Damn Japan, you are mean), injured, pregnant, or with a small child. I really don’t fit in that category, and my gaijin powers weren’t helping me at all! Even better, I didn’t realize there was a transfer at one station, so once I was at the last stop, a man was leaving but he kept staring back at me. At first I was “yes yes, I’m a foreigner, huzzah, no big whoop really”, but then I realized he wanted to tell me I needed to get off LOL. Gaijin smash can lead to loss of speech for native Japanese speakers. Oddly enough, while I was waiting here, a random guy asked me in English a question about the beach. I couldn’t answer his question, but he brought to my attention the summer Beer Festival (which I had no idea about LOL LOL LOL), and invited me out once I got back to Sapporo. Huzzah, no being alone! Foreigners, unite!
I still made my way to Otaru though. I was determined to see the canal and make it to the music shop. So I left the station, picked up a rental bike, and flew downhill towards the canal.. Yeup… it’s a canal… sadly, it wasn’t that impressive. Plus I was kind of disappointed that I got a bike when there were a ton of guys pulling rickshaws >0< Oh well, make due with what you have. I found the Otaru beer factory, and sat down for a small glass, which was pretty tasty. Once I went to pay THEN the lady (who saw me with my bike), “uhm, since you did drink, you cannot ride you bike”. O_o. hubbidah! Excuse me Ms. Lady, but I have places to go, things to see. So as she watched me walk out, I just walked… and once I was out of sight, I was all over my bike XD. I wasn’t drunk , c’mon. Anyways, I was finally able to find the steam clock after searching for a while. I thought it was going to be a big tower, but its easily shorter than a house. Still pretty neat though! It plays a chime through the steam…tubes on top, and then the actually time for every hour. Inside was pretty fantastic, a ton of music boxes! Most were in the classic European style, with vines of flowers, or victiorian woman, ect ect. There were a few that were more “Nihon-poi’ though. I had already purchased one during my first visit to Japan so I’d thought I would go for the other type. I found a really nice jewelry box that plays the melody ‘Rabu Rabu Rabu” lol, or in English, “ Love, Love, Love”. But man, I heard some melodies that were totally nostalgic; “Canon”, from I&C’s wedding, “Anpanman March”, “Tottoro”, “and a -ton- of Disney. I was still able to find a nice one, along with some omiyage for others. Once I finished shopping , I realized that I had 10 minutes to get back to the bike rental before I was late. Let’s just say that I was definitely huffin it. Thank goodness I made it in time. The only thing I regret is not being able to eat some Tomato ice cream.
So I headed back to Sapporo, dropped off al my crap, and went on the hunt to find Tyson. I first got some more pictures in (cock-tower again, and Sapporo Tower), and then as I was central park, I realized the mayha that was in front of me. OMFG it was soooo crowded!! Each block of the park was represented by a different beer. Sapporo, Asahi Kikrin, Suntory…. They were all over the place. And the people were abundant too!! Soo many drunk people in one place, it’s scary. After feeling hopeless for a while, I finally met up with Tyson and the gaijin crew; 2 French men, bikiing all over Hokkaido, a scool teacher named Ben and the most popular tall-white guy Tyson. They all let me partake in some of their beer… well, it looked like a huge-ass bong but it wasn’t. Just look at the picture, LOL. I got there pretty late, so once I had my first beer, they were already making last calls. Oh well. I think I convinced everyone to try and get to Ramen Alley. It took a bit of effort but we made it there!! Omg butter corn miso ramen… I may of found a new love. SERIOUSLY, freakin fantastic!! I wanted more when I was done. Once we left the alley though, I realized how much my pooch puffed out hahaha. The rest of the group planned on going to a club, but knowing I had to leave the next morning at 6:02am, I had to pass. I was glad I had some idea of where I was at, lol. Everything in Hokkaido is in neighborhoods, according to number and direction. For example, my hotel was in South 2 West 3 I believe. Anyways, so it was back to the business hotel for me, LOL.
I was able to get a good, sound night’s sleep and make it out of the hotel and to the train station in good time. I now had the laboring task of taking all local trains from Hakodate to Otaru (I believe 3-4 transfers, a total of 6-7 hours commuting). Well, I made it to Onuma, where I was supposed to transfer to another train, but NOOOOO, I’m the dumbass that stays on the train. So I found myself at Onuma Quasi-National Park, a mountain overlooking a lake with over 100 islands. It was nice to see from the train, but unless you want to go hiking or take a bike-trail, it’s not worth the visit. Furthermore, trains do not frequent here often. So once you get here, you are stuck for a while. Ugh, damn my luck!! What made this even more frustrating is when I asked if they had a time-book here so I could re-route my schedule, they didn’t have one either! WTF NIHONZ, GET YURSELF TOGETHER! So I had to take the next train ALL the way back to Hakodate, and then start all over. Unfortunately I didn’t have a time chart with me, and I was running behind schedule, so I checked how much a Limited Express train was to Sapporo… and just gave in LOL. F’in a man I almost fee like my Hokkaido pass was worthless when I did that. But I learned, and had to pay for my mistake, both literally and figuratively. I had a very comfortable ride though, was either in-and-out of sleep or reading my book. Yes, it’s a friggen miracle, I’m back to reading. And GOD I loooove The Incarnations of Immortality series, wewt to being a fantasy nerd!! X3.
I made it to Sapporo in great time, and then had to figure out how to get to Otaru. There was a train leaving relatively soon , so I threw my luggage in a coin locker, walked to the infamous Clock Tower, and made my way back to the station before it left. I like it when I can kill two birds with one stone, woohoo! I felt stupid on the train, because after I was sitting for about 5 minutes, I realized that I was in a “priority seat”, technically for people who are old (the image had a person with a cane PLUS his spine is bent oddly. Damn Japan, you are mean), injured, pregnant, or with a small child. I really don’t fit in that category, and my gaijin powers weren’t helping me at all! Even better, I didn’t realize there was a transfer at one station, so once I was at the last stop, a man was leaving but he kept staring back at me. At first I was “yes yes, I’m a foreigner, huzzah, no big whoop really”, but then I realized he wanted to tell me I needed to get off LOL. Gaijin smash can lead to loss of speech for native Japanese speakers. Oddly enough, while I was waiting here, a random guy asked me in English a question about the beach. I couldn’t answer his question, but he brought to my attention the summer Beer Festival (which I had no idea about LOL LOL LOL), and invited me out once I got back to Sapporo. Huzzah, no being alone! Foreigners, unite!
I still made my way to Otaru though. I was determined to see the canal and make it to the music shop. So I left the station, picked up a rental bike, and flew downhill towards the canal.. Yeup… it’s a canal… sadly, it wasn’t that impressive. Plus I was kind of disappointed that I got a bike when there were a ton of guys pulling rickshaws >0< Oh well, make due with what you have. I found the Otaru beer factory, and sat down for a small glass, which was pretty tasty. Once I went to pay THEN the lady (who saw me with my bike), “uhm, since you did drink, you cannot ride you bike”. O_o. hubbidah! Excuse me Ms. Lady, but I have places to go, things to see. So as she watched me walk out, I just walked… and once I was out of sight, I was all over my bike XD. I wasn’t drunk , c’mon. Anyways, I was finally able to find the steam clock after searching for a while. I thought it was going to be a big tower, but its easily shorter than a house. Still pretty neat though! It plays a chime through the steam…tubes on top, and then the actually time for every hour. Inside was pretty fantastic, a ton of music boxes! Most were in the classic European style, with vines of flowers, or victiorian woman, ect ect. There were a few that were more “Nihon-poi’ though. I had already purchased one during my first visit to Japan so I’d thought I would go for the other type. I found a really nice jewelry box that plays the melody ‘Rabu Rabu Rabu” lol, or in English, “ Love, Love, Love”. But man, I heard some melodies that were totally nostalgic; “Canon”, from I&C’s wedding, “Anpanman March”, “Tottoro”, “and a -ton- of Disney. I was still able to find a nice one, along with some omiyage for others. Once I finished shopping , I realized that I had 10 minutes to get back to the bike rental before I was late. Let’s just say that I was definitely huffin it. Thank goodness I made it in time. The only thing I regret is not being able to eat some Tomato ice cream.
So I headed back to Sapporo, dropped off al my crap, and went on the hunt to find Tyson. I first got some more pictures in (cock-tower again, and Sapporo Tower), and then as I was central park, I realized the mayha that was in front of me. OMFG it was soooo crowded!! Each block of the park was represented by a different beer. Sapporo, Asahi Kikrin, Suntory…. They were all over the place. And the people were abundant too!! Soo many drunk people in one place, it’s scary. After feeling hopeless for a while, I finally met up with Tyson and the gaijin crew; 2 French men, bikiing all over Hokkaido, a scool teacher named Ben and the most popular tall-white guy Tyson. They all let me partake in some of their beer… well, it looked like a huge-ass bong but it wasn’t. Just look at the picture, LOL. I got there pretty late, so once I had my first beer, they were already making last calls. Oh well. I think I convinced everyone to try and get to Ramen Alley. It took a bit of effort but we made it there!! Omg butter corn miso ramen… I may of found a new love. SERIOUSLY, freakin fantastic!! I wanted more when I was done. Once we left the alley though, I realized how much my pooch puffed out hahaha. The rest of the group planned on going to a club, but knowing I had to leave the next morning at 6:02am, I had to pass. I was glad I had some idea of where I was at, lol. Everything in Hokkaido is in neighborhoods, according to number and direction. For example, my hotel was in South 2 West 3 I believe. Anyways, so it was back to the business hotel for me, LOL.
Hokkaido! Day 1
Day 1- Morioka --> Aomori --> Kikonai --> Kitakami --> Hakodate
The night before I left, I actually didn’t get any sleep. I had to leave at 6:30, and after a night of hookah, I was back at my apartment at 2:30. So I managed to clean, take a shower, and organize all the crap in my apartment. Afterwards, I went to the internet café on Odori, Hero, to burn some time. I found a few more interesting things about where I was about to go. Thank god they had a drink bar, because fatigue was starting to set in. I went through two hours there; it was soo weird to see that when I went in it was night time, and when I left it was bright and shiny. I didn’t feel like taking a taxi, so I just walked to the station. I really do like walking, and I think this vacation is going to be full of that (and ya’know, sitting on my ass, since everything is local trains).
I made it to my first train on time, huzzah! And I was able t get a good seat, where no one could really bother me. There was a girl in front of me though (the seat was like two mini-benches facing each other, and they go throughout the bus in pairs) that was -all- dolled up. At 6:30 in the morning people! Fresh curls, fake eyelashes, all wrapped up in a bow. *sigh* The funny thing though was her passing out. Granted, I wanted to sleep to, but I couldn’t because I was soo excited!! The way she slept on her head completely ruined one side of her curls T-T. Poor thing. So while Sleeping Beauty was catching ZzZZs, I was starting a new book. Well, I actually had had it for almost a year, but I didn’t have the time to read it. Part of the Immortality series, “Wielding a Red Sword” is about how the new office for Mars is filled out. I like it so far, but I think “ Riding a Pale Horse” was a lot better. Who knows, I’m only half-way through the book. Yes, I just started my vacation, and I am half-way though my book . I have a lot of time on my hands throughout the train rides.
Anyways, I was able to make it to Aomori with no problems. HOWEVER, then the drama begins. So to fill in with some back story, the reason why I am riding all Futsu trains is because I bought the Hokkaido- North Japan pass. It lets you travel unlimitedly on all Futsu trains for 5 consecutive days. It made the travel costs a lot cheaper. It did have the exception to let me ride in the longest underwater tunnel via Shinkansen, huzzah!! However, to do that, you must board and disembark in one specific town. Well, I started in the wrong town. So, while I was riding on the Shinkansen, I was called out on it, and I had to immediately get off at the next exit, unless I really wanted to pay (hell no!!). Knowing I was wrong, I went to the ticket counter at the new station and explained my situation. Unfortunately, the man talking to me was a complete bastard. I asked him what I could do, and he just started at me with an emotionless face. Then I asked him if he had a time chart or map, and he sad no. WTF U R AT A TRAIN STATION, WHY YOU HAS NO MAP DERRRR. And then wouldn’t you believe it, he pulls out a map. OI VE. After keeping my kewl (because I was getting really pissed off), I finally got him to realize what the hell was going on, and figure out how to get me back on track. In all honesty, it wasn’t the man that pissed me off who helped me, it was another guy working there. Maybe I had the village idiot help me, I don’t know. While I was waiting at this station, a random guy started up a conversation with me. His English was absolutely fantastic. He was maybe in his 30s, and he said he hasn’t used his English since he was in school, but it was still very good. Anyways, I eventually got back on track. Funny thing is with the detour, I still arrived in Hakodate at the time I estimated LOL. I was able to talk with a really nice lady too, who gave me some advice about town, and a little guidance on what I was actually looking at through the window as we approached the city. Soo sweet!
Once I left the station, I bought a day-pass for the trolley that goes throughout the town. Having that in town made sight-seeing a little easier. It seem like everything is in really close proximity to each other. After I threw my stuff into the hotel, I started off with one of the temples they had in town. It was completely empty. I hate to say it, but once I got there, I immediately thought of Sailor Moon, lol. Rei is a temple priestess, and the style of the temple (and stairs) was really similar to hers. Still, it was a beautiful place. I bought a fortune slip, but since I can’t read crap, I gotta translate it T-T. After that I walked to where I could see the sea. I was kinda surprised to see some surfers, but c'mon, that’s just me being stupid because it IS summer. The weather in Hokkaido isn’t any different from Morioka, still pretty warm. After that I went to the star fortress. I didn’t go up into the observation building because it was $10, and I knew I was going to Mt. Hakodate later that day. Plus, I just bought postcards with the aerial view, lol. I did take a walk around there though. Its more a park now than anything. Its kind of funny that it used to be a fortress, and now people have picnics and exercise there. Oh how time makes fools of us all.
I finally started to feel hungry, and right next to the park is a burger joint called Lucky Pierot. I don’t think there are any of these back in Honshu, but man, you can’t miss it. I would relate it to a Schoops and Applebees in sporadic design, but its more on the crazy and uncanny, like a circus. I had a “ Lucky Cheeseburger”, but they have other things that are a little more outstanding. But man….. That was a delicious burger!!!! Omg they had just the perfect amount of mustard and ketchup, and this other sauce that was sweet but it seemed like there were really small chunks of cream cheese in there ON TOP of having a big slide of cheddar. No question, my best burger in Japan so far. *starts drooling just by remembering*.
Once I was finished savoring my deliciousness, I realized I was starting to get dark so I needed to hit my last “day-light” locations before I went to the observation tower. I wasn’t going to make it to the foreign residency, so I went to look for the warehouses. I thought I was just going to be taking pictures of really plain things, but wow, they completely changed the inside of the buildings to a shopping center! Really fun things, a lot with Russian influence. I also had a great view of the port during sunset, so those were good times. I continued to look for highlight spots on my map, making my way up to the boarding station for Mt. Hakodate. I found the location foreigners first stepped foot onto Hokkaido, the infamous street view, and the foreign merchant living quarters (but it was too dark to get a good picture of anything). Thank goodness I had a map with me, or I would of easily gotten lost in town. I found the boarding station and since it was around 8pm, it was a busy time. Going up the lift was really exciting!! I think I’ve only been on a lift maybe one other time in my life. Its crazy how they work with sooo many people inside. I think maybe 50 people could fit in, but maybe I’m wrong. Once you reach the top, you don’t want to get out! But since you can climb up a few extra flights in the mountain station, I headed for the roof. Of course it was jam-packed there too, with everyone and their brother trying to get a good shot of the night scene. From what I researched online, the view from Mt. Hakodate is one of the top 3 in the -world-! *shock* I will admit, I was a little moved. Unfortunately, I was kinda pissed that I couldn’t get a good shot though *sigh* I tried to enjoy the view a little longer, but I found a good time to head down. This time I was able to get a little closer to the window, but uugh…. going down a lift… it’s like landing in an airplane, and I don’t like that soo much T-T. Regardless, I got down in one piece, huzzah!
After enjoying the night view, I wondered how I cold enjoy the night life. It kinda sucks to go to a bar alone, so I was hoping I could do something else. One of Hakodate’s food specialties include squid, and after roaming around a little, I found a charming little alleyway full of a variety of restaurants. One of them had squid on the menu, so I plopped down, drank a Sapporo “classic” beer and enjoyed my snack. I have to call it a snack, cause it was sooo small!!! The chef put a ginger sauce on it, and it was really tasty! I’m used to different festivals just soaking it in a soy sauce glaze. I wasn’t full after this, so I scouted he area a litte more. One of the restaurants there was Korean owned, and once she said “Anngyonhasaeyo” and I replied back in Korean, she had me. LOL. I tried to resist because I wanted to try the local cuisine, but she already was “pushing” me inside, ^_^(). There were only 2 other people there, and the hostess was ready to make us all friends. I’ll admitt, since I had a large beer at the restaurant prior, I was a little tipsy, and ready to chat. The chef was able to make me something I didn’t have before, a sandwich that was kimchi and cheese… om nom nom nom. I’ll never eat a grilled-cheese the same way again.. For some reason they also gave me coffee with this, a “must-have” from what they say. It did go well together though. I was promised some pat-bing-suu as well, but nooooo, a group of men came and then the cook became too busy cooking their meal. To be a little more visual, these shops are very very tiny, as where you enter in, there are maybe only…. 8-9 seats, surrounding the area that the chef is cooking in. There are tables outside the restaurants, but they maybe fit 5-6 out there, like a park-bench. So yeah, once 6 hungry guys come into your restaurant, it’s gonna be busy. Especially since there is only one chef. I knew I had an early start the next day, and it was already midnight, so I made my way back to the hotel, and passed out once my head hit the pillow.
The night before I left, I actually didn’t get any sleep. I had to leave at 6:30, and after a night of hookah, I was back at my apartment at 2:30. So I managed to clean, take a shower, and organize all the crap in my apartment. Afterwards, I went to the internet café on Odori, Hero, to burn some time. I found a few more interesting things about where I was about to go. Thank god they had a drink bar, because fatigue was starting to set in. I went through two hours there; it was soo weird to see that when I went in it was night time, and when I left it was bright and shiny. I didn’t feel like taking a taxi, so I just walked to the station. I really do like walking, and I think this vacation is going to be full of that (and ya’know, sitting on my ass, since everything is local trains).
I made it to my first train on time, huzzah! And I was able t get a good seat, where no one could really bother me. There was a girl in front of me though (the seat was like two mini-benches facing each other, and they go throughout the bus in pairs) that was -all- dolled up. At 6:30 in the morning people! Fresh curls, fake eyelashes, all wrapped up in a bow. *sigh* The funny thing though was her passing out. Granted, I wanted to sleep to, but I couldn’t because I was soo excited!! The way she slept on her head completely ruined one side of her curls T-T. Poor thing. So while Sleeping Beauty was catching ZzZZs, I was starting a new book. Well, I actually had had it for almost a year, but I didn’t have the time to read it. Part of the Immortality series, “Wielding a Red Sword” is about how the new office for Mars is filled out. I like it so far, but I think “ Riding a Pale Horse” was a lot better. Who knows, I’m only half-way through the book. Yes, I just started my vacation, and I am half-way though my book . I have a lot of time on my hands throughout the train rides.
Anyways, I was able to make it to Aomori with no problems. HOWEVER, then the drama begins. So to fill in with some back story, the reason why I am riding all Futsu trains is because I bought the Hokkaido- North Japan pass. It lets you travel unlimitedly on all Futsu trains for 5 consecutive days. It made the travel costs a lot cheaper. It did have the exception to let me ride in the longest underwater tunnel via Shinkansen, huzzah!! However, to do that, you must board and disembark in one specific town. Well, I started in the wrong town. So, while I was riding on the Shinkansen, I was called out on it, and I had to immediately get off at the next exit, unless I really wanted to pay (hell no!!). Knowing I was wrong, I went to the ticket counter at the new station and explained my situation. Unfortunately, the man talking to me was a complete bastard. I asked him what I could do, and he just started at me with an emotionless face. Then I asked him if he had a time chart or map, and he sad no. WTF U R AT A TRAIN STATION, WHY YOU HAS NO MAP DERRRR. And then wouldn’t you believe it, he pulls out a map. OI VE. After keeping my kewl (because I was getting really pissed off), I finally got him to realize what the hell was going on, and figure out how to get me back on track. In all honesty, it wasn’t the man that pissed me off who helped me, it was another guy working there. Maybe I had the village idiot help me, I don’t know. While I was waiting at this station, a random guy started up a conversation with me. His English was absolutely fantastic. He was maybe in his 30s, and he said he hasn’t used his English since he was in school, but it was still very good. Anyways, I eventually got back on track. Funny thing is with the detour, I still arrived in Hakodate at the time I estimated LOL. I was able to talk with a really nice lady too, who gave me some advice about town, and a little guidance on what I was actually looking at through the window as we approached the city. Soo sweet!
Once I left the station, I bought a day-pass for the trolley that goes throughout the town. Having that in town made sight-seeing a little easier. It seem like everything is in really close proximity to each other. After I threw my stuff into the hotel, I started off with one of the temples they had in town. It was completely empty. I hate to say it, but once I got there, I immediately thought of Sailor Moon, lol. Rei is a temple priestess, and the style of the temple (and stairs) was really similar to hers. Still, it was a beautiful place. I bought a fortune slip, but since I can’t read crap, I gotta translate it T-T. After that I walked to where I could see the sea. I was kinda surprised to see some surfers, but c'mon, that’s just me being stupid because it IS summer. The weather in Hokkaido isn’t any different from Morioka, still pretty warm. After that I went to the star fortress. I didn’t go up into the observation building because it was $10, and I knew I was going to Mt. Hakodate later that day. Plus, I just bought postcards with the aerial view, lol. I did take a walk around there though. Its more a park now than anything. Its kind of funny that it used to be a fortress, and now people have picnics and exercise there. Oh how time makes fools of us all.
I finally started to feel hungry, and right next to the park is a burger joint called Lucky Pierot. I don’t think there are any of these back in Honshu, but man, you can’t miss it. I would relate it to a Schoops and Applebees in sporadic design, but its more on the crazy and uncanny, like a circus. I had a “ Lucky Cheeseburger”, but they have other things that are a little more outstanding. But man….. That was a delicious burger!!!! Omg they had just the perfect amount of mustard and ketchup, and this other sauce that was sweet but it seemed like there were really small chunks of cream cheese in there ON TOP of having a big slide of cheddar. No question, my best burger in Japan so far. *starts drooling just by remembering*.
Once I was finished savoring my deliciousness, I realized I was starting to get dark so I needed to hit my last “day-light” locations before I went to the observation tower. I wasn’t going to make it to the foreign residency, so I went to look for the warehouses. I thought I was just going to be taking pictures of really plain things, but wow, they completely changed the inside of the buildings to a shopping center! Really fun things, a lot with Russian influence. I also had a great view of the port during sunset, so those were good times. I continued to look for highlight spots on my map, making my way up to the boarding station for Mt. Hakodate. I found the location foreigners first stepped foot onto Hokkaido, the infamous street view, and the foreign merchant living quarters (but it was too dark to get a good picture of anything). Thank goodness I had a map with me, or I would of easily gotten lost in town. I found the boarding station and since it was around 8pm, it was a busy time. Going up the lift was really exciting!! I think I’ve only been on a lift maybe one other time in my life. Its crazy how they work with sooo many people inside. I think maybe 50 people could fit in, but maybe I’m wrong. Once you reach the top, you don’t want to get out! But since you can climb up a few extra flights in the mountain station, I headed for the roof. Of course it was jam-packed there too, with everyone and their brother trying to get a good shot of the night scene. From what I researched online, the view from Mt. Hakodate is one of the top 3 in the -world-! *shock* I will admit, I was a little moved. Unfortunately, I was kinda pissed that I couldn’t get a good shot though *sigh* I tried to enjoy the view a little longer, but I found a good time to head down. This time I was able to get a little closer to the window, but uugh…. going down a lift… it’s like landing in an airplane, and I don’t like that soo much T-T. Regardless, I got down in one piece, huzzah!
After enjoying the night view, I wondered how I cold enjoy the night life. It kinda sucks to go to a bar alone, so I was hoping I could do something else. One of Hakodate’s food specialties include squid, and after roaming around a little, I found a charming little alleyway full of a variety of restaurants. One of them had squid on the menu, so I plopped down, drank a Sapporo “classic” beer and enjoyed my snack. I have to call it a snack, cause it was sooo small!!! The chef put a ginger sauce on it, and it was really tasty! I’m used to different festivals just soaking it in a soy sauce glaze. I wasn’t full after this, so I scouted he area a litte more. One of the restaurants there was Korean owned, and once she said “Anngyonhasaeyo” and I replied back in Korean, she had me. LOL. I tried to resist because I wanted to try the local cuisine, but she already was “pushing” me inside, ^_^(). There were only 2 other people there, and the hostess was ready to make us all friends. I’ll admitt, since I had a large beer at the restaurant prior, I was a little tipsy, and ready to chat. The chef was able to make me something I didn’t have before, a sandwich that was kimchi and cheese… om nom nom nom. I’ll never eat a grilled-cheese the same way again.. For some reason they also gave me coffee with this, a “must-have” from what they say. It did go well together though. I was promised some pat-bing-suu as well, but nooooo, a group of men came and then the cook became too busy cooking their meal. To be a little more visual, these shops are very very tiny, as where you enter in, there are maybe only…. 8-9 seats, surrounding the area that the chef is cooking in. There are tables outside the restaurants, but they maybe fit 5-6 out there, like a park-bench. So yeah, once 6 hungry guys come into your restaurant, it’s gonna be busy. Especially since there is only one chef. I knew I had an early start the next day, and it was already midnight, so I made my way back to the hotel, and passed out once my head hit the pillow.
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