Do you wanna build a snowman?
First day in Asahikawa was somewhat of a failure. We had to leave the first hotel we checked into because the room reeked of cigarette smoke and the wallpaper was cracking and peeling. By the time we settled into the…
Tale of Two Snow Festivals
We are in Sapporo mainly for the snow festival which usually takes place in early February every year. Just a heads up, if you intend to attend a snow festival in the near future, make sure you dress warmly! This…
Japanese Photo Booth
On a random quest for the Hello Kitty store, we spotted bunch of girls waiting in line for these photo booths. I now know what I would look like if I got plastic surgery. Add some double eyelids, elongate my…
Sapporo Miso Ramen
We arrived in Sapporo right before dinnertime. Our Air BnB place is across the river, about a 15 minute walk to Susukino’s ramen alley. We managed to find a ramen restaurant with 5 free seats. The ramen restaurants are all…
Snow Pillows
I tried snowboarding and skiing in Rusutsu. I am marginally better with skiing. At least I can somehow move myself in the direction I need to go to when on skis. On the snowboard, I’m pretty much at the mercy…
Day Trip to Otaru
I made a day trip to Otaru on my own yesterday. Started out at the Hirafu intersection waiting for the Niseko bus that goes to the Kutchan train station at 8:59am. For whatever reason, the bus was 15 minutes late…shocking…
Lazy Day in Grand Hirafu
Spent the morning researching and mapping out all the onsens in the area while the boys enjoy powder runs. Found three onsens within a three block radius from our hotel. Before we started any relaxation, we went in search of…
Snowy Mountain
Snow, lots of snow. My snow boots finally look at home and prove to be awesome. Explored Hirafu and Kutchan today. While waiting for the bus to Kutchan, I noticed a man working hard to remove snow on a sloped…
Shanghai Nights
Spent the last day in Shanghai doing laundry and getting a massage. Decided to check out the Bund at night. I popped into the lobby bistro at the Peace Hotel to grab some nosh. After three weeks of Chinese food,…
Chilling in Shanghai
Woke up this morning to sunshine and clear skies in Shanghai. It had snowed yesterday and this morning the temperature outside was -7° degrees, the coldest it has been in 15 years according to news reports. I was very happy that…
